Not Even Remotely
Separation is the weight I carry,
feebly countered by
a digitized simulacrum.
The scales are out of balance.
What is distance,
when nearness
is measured in pixels,
tones that pass from hand to ear?
They may substitute
for touch, the warmth of presence,
but they cannot replace them.
There will never be enough bandwidth.
I may travel that distance,
share presence for a brief time,
but with every return
I note my own absence.
rivrvlogr 
“What is distance, when nearness is measured in pixels,”.. this is incredibly deep and potent! ❤️❤️
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Thank you, Sanaa.
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Digital time will never replace real time. (K)
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It’s small consolation.
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Ken, I feel certain this is about when you go to visit your family. The ache is palpable.
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It is, Lisa. Thank you.
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You’re welcome.
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A great poem Ken! What is distance with digital communication… It is connection without physical expression.
You are right nothing replaces a hug!
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And I miss those hugs.
Thank you, Dwight.
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I am sure you do. You are far away from Buffalo!
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A picture may paint a thousand words but, a human touch vibrates a thousands times in the soul.
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It does. I count myself lucky to still feel those that I’ve had. Thank you.
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profound, especially the ending.
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Thank you.
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Nothing else delivers what a physical hug offers! And breathing in the same space, we pick up on tiny vibrations that media simply cannot transfer. I feel your ache reading this.
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I hold out for the next trip, maybe in June, or so. I also have a new grandchild coming in September. Thank you, Jazz.
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Pixels keep life at a distance. If we can’t touch it, is it still real?
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I remind myself that it is.
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“but with every return
I note my own absence.”
So poignant, Ken. I know you miss your family. As you read though, I imagined you in your kayak, paddling and thinking.
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Thank you, Merril. And yes, being on the water can be an intimate experience, so it makes it easier to think back on moments that are precious to me.
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You’re welcome. Yes, I can understand that.
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So zen-like Ken
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That does help. Thank you, Paul.
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Loved it 🙂
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you effectively convey that sense of distance and isolation here, Ken ~
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Thank you, Michael. I’m with someone I love, while missing those I love. A move back is in the cards in the next five years. I just have to be patient.
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Technology is cool, but in today’s world it has been asked to do too much…we need to close the distance in a more tangible way. ❣️
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Thank you, Tricia. The key here is that it not become the norm. I see myself moving back to New York sometime in the next five years.
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It’s good to get closer to family! After moving around as an army wife for so long I’m sticking near my parents now that I’m more settled. ❣️
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🙂
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I think we have learned a lot about that distance over the last few years… maybe we need to close those gaps.
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I agree. Sometimes it’s easier said than done.
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Ken, I just sent you a message through your contact form. Thanks, Luanne
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This line spoke to me, “There will never be enough bandwidth.” Nothing will ever replace face-to-face in-person whole body listening.
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Love that face-to-face. Thank you.
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Wow, Ken! You’ve cleverly described the drawbacks of technology with these thoughts. Bravo!
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Yet we still rely on it!
Thank you, Susi.
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We do, but I guess it’s really about balance. 🙂 You’re welcome, Ken!
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