Associate Editor Connor Yeck: The guiding force of Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat’s poem is one we’re all too familiar with—the relentless cultural push to update, upgrade, and “improve.” Among a chorus of observers who warn, pry, prod, and patronize, we witness a speaker resist the dichotomy of old and new, state of the art and obsolete. Here is a voice that carries itself through unshakeable existence as-is, and a commitment to remain “fantastically fine” in the face of calls to change the very definition of the self.
To hear Tanya read her poem, click below:
The Obsoletion
There were others who speculated that I would soon be obsolete.
They said I was showing early signs of glitching.
They asked if I got all my mandatory updates.
They advised that regular maintenance is crucial for longevity.
They cautioned that I could easily be replaced.
They suggested I talk to a professional about improving my performance.
Though they read that enhancements can only help so much.
They pondered out loud about whether they’d pay for enhancements.
Or, they said, letting the natural life cycle run its course is a choice, too.
They’d seen plenty of powerful stories about those living well past their prime.
I said thank you, because manners are never outdated.
I added that I appreciated the recommendations.
I am not malfunctioning. No malware has infected me.
I am feeling fantastically fine.
I am feeling fine.
I am feeling.
I am.
I.
Tanya Sangpun Thamkruphat is a Thai-Vietnamese American writer. She’s the author of Em(body)ment of Wonder (Raine Poetry Publishing, 2021) and It Wasn’t a Dream (Fahmidan Publishing & Co., 2022). Her writing appears in Button Poetry, Honey Literary, and elsewhere. She lives with her partner and feline overlords in California.
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