Strandbeests (prompt 20)

A collection of plastic and string and wings;

part stick insect, part sailboat,

walking kinetic sculptures from the realm of fantasy

moving up and down the beaches unsupervised

and avoiding the water with no technology at all.

 

Just stored energy applied to actions, like rubberband propellers.

Purely mechanical parts, no self-replication.

They seem remarkably alive, they seem intelligent, and yet

Just plastic and string and wings to catch the wind.

A zoo of bizarre, multi-legged dreams made real.

 

Walking with weird gaits, these giant beach animals

seem to think, and move within nature as if they can see,

as if they can avoid dangers. They shock the unprepared.

Mythical creatures like some twisted nightmare,

startling the senses and baffling the mind.

Unnatural elements in otherwise ordinary nature,

yet completely at home. Dark imaginings

exploring the light of day.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *