Detached

There was a time when bare feet walked the land

A wrong step was felt, and quickly corrected

Discomfort brought the recognition of appreciation

Now artificial barriers block the critical thought

All senses safely muted as is all sensibility

Distortion of distance came through

first loud and clear in the earpiece fixture

a practical measure it seemed of some comfort

Then the message flickered through in neat text

“Sorry I’m busy, I’ll catch you next time”

as if time is an obedient slave, with a humorous side

Time consumption now barricades

In the decay of over-consumption

Pictures now flicker like text

no longer handled with care

Sitting here alone yet connected

Separation of the personal

Objectification of the non-personal person

Contact Us?

Us equals community

Community equals personal connection

So where is us?

An email address? Response within 24 hours

Desired comfort has dissolved us

the uncomfortable madness of it all

Dwells deep within true desire

As children talk on screens

A sci-fi dream it would seem

As the bikes stand still, an untouched shrine 

the streets no longer beckon adventure

How far we have come to set ourselves

So far behind

The human image passes as unknown

As the unfelt step is taken

Unethical barriers drop on the unknown

The detached body has become

The detached soul

Lost in the wilderness of its own making

A nightmare surely to awaken

Even the dead

-Camille Delaquise

This poem appears in Behind the Facade, Camille’s debut contemporary poetry collection. Detached speaks to the spiritual cost of disconnection in contemporary life — tracing how convenience, technology and over-consumption can erode community until the human self grows estranged from both others and its own inner truth.

This poem is available as a contemporary poetry print on textured recycled card.