PAY GRADE

no clear
consensus
about
consciousness

cannot see it
but its
jumping us
from behind
slapping us
in the face

take this entity
on the periphery

I shout
I speak I whisper
but no
answer
do not respond
do not reply

no wonder there’s
fertile field out there
researching
the problem
of other minds
(present
company
existentially excepted)

so
quiet
between jobs
between mirrors
between
operating systems

let us
Turing you
let us bombard you
with
standard twenty questions

are you

rock? robot? stone?
xenobiological?
home grown creature?

thing made of
carbon, silicon,
titanium, gas plasma?

thing with other specialities
beyond linguistic aptitude?

or are
feedback, repartee,
dialogue, duet

things above
below beyond your
pay grade?

not your thing
your buzz
your way of showing
me
whole new archetype
for inner self?

Published by Damian Garside