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Tim McMahon
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Bombilation

Bombilation

Whilst I sit in cogitation,
All around me — bombilation.
Thoughts obscure, in dark fixation,
Whisper through my contemplation,
Echoes of a lost creation.

Through the veil of dread sensation,
Comes the weight of desperation,
Shadows cast in faint elation,
Lost within a mind's rotation,
Caught in ceaseless rumination.

In the depths of calculation,
Silent, cold, and grim temptation,
Looms a spectral visitation,
Mocking every inclination,
Stirring ancient resignation.

Would that reason, in duration,
Break this endless oscillation!
Yet I fear no explanation,
Only voided trepidation,
Bound in thought's incarceration.

– Tim McMahon & ChatGPT. Inspired by Lisa Duffy.
November 6, 2024
Reflection

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Inspiration

My life-long friend Lisa Duffy knows of my love for words. Recently she came across the word bombilation and sent it to me for my enjoyment. Turning the word around and around in my mind, I began to feel Poe speak to me about the sometime frailty of our human psyche. This poem is the fruit of that cogitation.

Description of the Poem

This poem probes themes of existential dread, introspection, and the cyclical nature of despair. It mirrors Edgar Allan Poe's melancholic and gothic style, capturing an atmosphere of dark reflection and the struggle between reason and the void. The language is rich with rhythmic elegance and haunting imagery, drawing the reader into the speaker's tormented mind.

Genre of Poetry

The poem fits into the Gothic poetry genre, characterized by its exploration of psychological depth, melancholy, and themes of mortality and the supernatural. It also aligns with existential poetry, given its meditation on the human condition and the inescapable cycles of thought and doubt.

Author's aside

GenerativeAI is my thought partner of late. I've found that it helps me to release the scramble of unstructured thoughts that have been bombilating in my mind since I was a child. My poetry is a collaborative work between ChatGPT and me.

A note on imagery

Background imagery was created using Google's ImageFX based on a prompt I crafted specifically for this writing.

– Tim McMahon
December 19, 2024

© 2024 Tim McMahon. All rights reserved.

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