the Never-Ending Poem by the Poets of Everything

 Me:  are there other terms similar to umwelt, umgebung and innerwelt to be considered in thinking about these ideas? ChatGPT Yes, there are other terms that can be considered when thinking about these ideas and expanding our understanding of the interplay between self and the world. Here are a few additional concepts: Lebenswelt: This German term refers to the lifeworld or the world as experienced and interpreted by individuals. It encompasses the everyday experiences, beliefs, values, and social interactions that shape one's perception of reality. Lebenswelt emphasizes the subjective experience of individuals within their socio-cultural context. Sozialwelt: Translating to "social world" in English, Sozialwelt focuses on the social dimensions of human experience. It encompasses the relationships, institutions, norms, and dynamics within a given social context that shape one's sense of self and interaction with others. Eigenwelt: This term, rooted in German philosophy...

This is not a poem, nor is it written by a human... it is the output of GPT4 when I first asked it to write odes to A) Umwelt; B) Umgebung; C) Innerwelt and then to reflect on the paradoxes and dualities of self-other in that regard: Reflections on Self and Other: Embracing Paradoxes In the intricate tapestry of existence, a dance unfolds between the realms of self and other, where dualities and paradoxes intertwine. Within the realm of Umwelt, individual perceptions shape our understanding of the world. Each of us holds a unique lens through which we interpret our surroundings, yet within these boundaries, we feel an inherent yearning for connection with others. It is the paradox of embracing our own distinctiveness while recognizing the shared humanity that binds us. Umgebung, the stage upon which life plays out, encompasses diverse landscapes and environments. Mountains, rivers, cities, and forests create a multitude of Umgebungen, each offering a distinct backdrop for our individua...

Dancing the Innenwelt at the Umgebung Umwelten, Umwelten Wherefore art though, Umwelten? I am here, I am there, I am everywhere... I am, after all, all that there is   but for you, a tiny zen window into the multiverse Umwelt becomes Innenwelt your Umwelt, my Umgebung undt vice-versa   perched on hard chairs in an auditorium among thousands. A sea of gray hair, long yellowed teeth, bright eyes and bowed shuffles phones muted and hearing aids on high cybernetics insert themselves   We stare at the dull big screen, projecting the conversationalists below. We hear their amplified voices surrounded by speakers as tall as any of us   later, a line of people to meet the author maybe snag a signature sniff him take his hand in yours feel the heat, the texture is it firm? clammy?   the author wears a breathing mask as do you. We keep our microbiome to ourselves our umwelt is our ballroom Steve Smith Otowi, NM May 2023 Autho...

Curly Black Bit of Doggerel Little dog, little dog Curley Sue Malarkey   Wag, bite, run, chew, sleep   Little dog, little dog I can hardly see your eyes maul the cat, maul the cat   What do I know? Stupid Human!   March 2023 Otowi, NM

5 Road Poems (5 Aspirations) and a Song of Despair      a nod to Pablo Neruda Ode to the Open Road Open Road!  You call me Locked down for over a year Behind my mask Afraid to breathe others' breath     to touch what they had touched We traded the silver screen     for a big screen        or a small screen          or a tiny screen Now we go back the righteous windscreen     and roadsigns     Interstates     byways     flat horizons     rumble strips     diner coffee     local AM stations          storm warnings         piglets, quilt-scraps, and firewood              for trade     NPR everywhere         Amy and Terry and Ira and Christiana...

a tether uncoiling here taut there slack in déjà vu loops not pushed with will but drawn haphazard on walls through doors across the worn smooth floors of years in slippery umbilical time tying together beginning and end - Richard Krasin 2021

 Ode to an Ode Oh, Dearest Ode with clunky name, we use you. No matter our choices from pesky gnat to Grecian Urn, you do not block or mock our pure or snarky impulses to please. Why wait for funerals to laud? Extol odes upon the living, lift the truths and tiny lies with form and purpose to ease a subject’s desolate days.  You gave Neruda and Lorca a box to hold their love of Whitman. Wrapped  words shaped into sweet, sweaty bits of soil,  skin, and sky. On and on you share yourself. Ancient as kindness you are, old as  papyrus, yet alive, young and pleased with yourself. Mary Strong Jackson