Poem: I won’t say No to the Nobel

My last poem of 2024. What a year it has been!

I have always been thinking about this. Why not? Just a funny take… but it could be real, and I won’t say no.

Poem: I won’t say No to the Nobel

I asked this AI thing —
These days, AI is a good, silent advisor
A great journey so far it says
A poet, an author, and a reviewer
A few people in this world are your type
They love your work, dude.

So what it takes — I ask, quietly.
Many years must pass.
You have to write a lot more.
Then, you have to catch the eye — THEIR EYE.
What is eye-catching? — I ask.
Your oeuvre, the body of work.
Oh, and somebody, and if they feel
Might recommend.
Ah, THEIR EYE.

I watched the videos of citations and the award.
They seemed stiff, morose, and silent.
The citation read with an eye on paper, clipped tones.
Then, the formal claps on cue.
THEIR EYE, I ask the AI again.
Yes, Indeed. They are the ones. THEIR EYE.

And there are more… than MEETS THEIR EYE.
Wait, are we talking the same thing, dear AI?
Yes, Yes. It is their EYE and the more than meets.

I pause and ponder. A poem is born.
Another addition to the oeuvre.
Another review, another story.
My body of work builds.
Now, let their eyes discover my oeuvre.
I won’t say no to a Nobel.

~Ashok Subramanian © 2024

hashtag#thenobelprize hashtag#nobel hashtag#literature hashtag#oeuvre hashtag#poetry hashtag#poetryreview hashtag#literarycritique