I’m running out of words
and yet, wait,
here is a set as if two back:
‘rearview mirror.’

Backsight is black arts
as self-driving driverless cars
are adorned with these smarts
rally a ‘really, what ‘s that’
what else could it be casted at

It’s a reflection of fail-safe
a legal view on one’s rear
as a transistor propagating regression
and a comfort zone rectifying retro vanity

Yet its host looks far further ahead
then it can answer, then it can roll
its anticipated public roads
halting stalemates with traffic-cones

LiDAR, camera, scanner galore
humans out the loop
so breaks shan’t be hit
when scanned rears meet front gears

It’s a future potential
for backward product
and advert placements
joining virtuality off pavements

“The rearview edge-computing mirror”
with touch screen for dog passengers
hanging tongues
catching wind, drooling by

now with built-in
transforming generative
smartness, networked
with all looking glasses around

we all rear better now
personalized connected cheer
and deflected fear
Ah words, as objects, sear

dear Hamlet without a prince
instead of wheels
rear me a horse
adorning rotten rearview mirrors

for your kingdom
looking back at your words
filling our ways with your fun
where yet so much else is to be done

                          —animasuri’24