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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2023: Instructions for the Installation and Maintenance of the Deluxe Carer Machine 2023
by Laura Strickland
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2023: Instructions for the Installation and Maintenance of the Deluxe Carer Machine 2023
The Deluxe Carer Machine must be installed by a competent person – someone with an NVQ Level 2 in Unsolicited Advice.
Full and regular maintenance of the machine is your responsibility. At the back of the machine there is a valve for empathy – you must ensure this is switched to 0 at all times. Every month you must also drain the kindness valve to avoid over familiarity.
This machine is our most innovative product – once installed it will take care of all your support needs, except for the following –
have lunch with you,
help you in the bathroom,
pick up your prescriptions,
order your shopping,
support you at medical appointments,
take you to see friends
for these, which we like to call not in our job description, there is an extra cost of £25,000 plus VAT.
On rare occasions (don’t ask for exact figures because we’ve lost them) this is confidential information the machine might malfunction, for example –
makes eye contact with you
asks about your feelings
calls you by your first name
asks your opinion
helps you off the floor
gives you the correct medication
returns your bank card
If these happen, take the following action immediately –
immerse the machine in boiling water
turn off all the lights in your house
use as many naked flames as possible
don’t turn off the electricity
don’t use your phone
don’t allow anyone into your house
open all the windows and doors (all seasons)
don’t warn your neighbours of the danger
and under no circumstances contact our 24 hour emergency helpline
unless you want an upgrade.
A special thank you to our WordView 2023 poets.
Here's what our PAN Wordview 2023 judges have to say about this year's competition. Robert Seatter, says "ever a joy and a privilege to co-judge the Poetry Archive Now annual competition, tapping into a pulse of thought and feeling from around the globe, condensed into intensely crafted poems. The entries came from all continents, covered myriad themes, spoke in different voices, but all shared a fundamental belief in the power of poetry to speak from the soul."
Courtney Conrad says "the poets who participated in this competition reminded us that poetry is a tool for change, a medium for reflection, and a source of inspiration. These poets have left an indelible mark on me and the world, and I can't wait to see how their words continue to shape our collective consciousness in the future."
Merrie Joy Williams says "The Poetry Archive is such an indispensable resource - the idea that a poem read in a poet’s own voice can outlast those seemingly endless moments tinkering until a poem feels right, or at least robust enough to convey a memory or insight - so exploring these entries was a privilege and joy. Selecting a final twenty was tortuous. So many captured the spirit of these times, when so many things are at risk of erosion or at a critical juncture: the environment, the misuse of AI, truthfulness, the modus operandi of those who run our countries, and issues of social justice and humanity. Others captured personal moments of reckoning in bold and intimate and surprising ways. Somehow we’ve managed to narrow them down and here we have, I think, a wide range of voices and approaches, personal and political, national and international, witty and wise, often proving that these dialectic notions are one and the same."
See the collectionWatch the full Wordview 2023 playlist