poem info

title

laser death

notes

This is an old poem from when Sony began doing its Blu-ray thing. Recently touched up for release on your favorite digital streaming service ;)

published

Sat Jun 20, 2009, misc. online
Mon Aug 21, 2023 at 09:52 AM, irfanbaig.com

last updated

Mon Jul 22, 2024 at 02:07 PM

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about irfan

I do software systems, fiction, poetry, and art. Rumors are whispered that I do more but those are the main things.

My first job in tech was a pre-college gig hooking people up with Internet at the first ISP in Kuching, Malaysia in 1995. After that I pursued the Arts in college (with a focus on computer graphics and animation), but then returned to work as a technologist for all manner of clientele in domains as varied as education, e-commerce, social networking, online philanthropy, and healthcare. More recently I have reconnected with my pursuits in digital art and writing, with projects in various stages of development (many of them to be published on this site as they are ready).

I had a pretty international upbringing, growing up in Malaysia and England before I came to the United States to further my studies at Iowa State University. I moved to New York City at the turn of the millenium and have resided here since.

gnosial setworking

licenses, attributions, & thanks

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Fonts

Literary font: Esteban by Angélica Díaz

Background images

Poetry background by Annie Spratt

laser death

as i walked into harry’s apartment
my shoes came entwined
in strands of vhs and betamax.

harry, harry! i screamed into blue darkness,
feet gathering a black mass — trudging!
harry! what on earth has happened?
Deep in the center, shrouded in a sickly interlaced glow
hunched harry. fiddling with buttons,
seven remote controls.

harry, harry! what on earth has happened here?
harry’s horrid grin cornered round his head
threatening some evil demise to my techno innocence.
“i’ve just transferred all of my vhs and betamax
to dvd.

All of it!”

such purity in his intent. such nobility in his victory.
so entrenched in the fruit of his labor, his hunched form.
gathering my pockets, i took a Breath of preparation, then
Unleashed my terrible onslaught upon this wicked harry’s person.
harry, harry! but the dvds are going out!

we’re all moving on to blu-ray now,
you poor dear!

on lonely nights, when no one will answer their phones
i uncap a bottle of black and savour sweetly…

harry Bursting from his apartment,
screaming like some demon of black vhs and betamax
tape streaming about his body across the streets,
“goddamn you SONY!”