- - -
Onboarding Vertigo
The ending
has already happened
in the shape of renewal.
It hits me—
an ending
that looks like
a beginning.
I promise myself
this time
it will make sense.
What ended
falls behind the update,
causing reality to flicker,
my horizonto slip out of level.
As the ending arrives
as onboarding,
my memory is overwritten
by default.
Am I supposed
to feel happy and hopeful
while searching
for what I just lost?
My happy updates,
my hope reinstalls.
Every renewal
starts with deletion.
The ground tilts,
and I feel the vertigo.
©2026 Samia Oldman
CONTEXT
You are reading dystopian fantasy poetry collection the Hush Halo. After the Great Optimization a privileged group of people wired themselves tightly into the system by aligning with it and fully integrating. Systoics believe they’ve perfected themselves by stripping away everything that slows them down. Learn more about Realm or start from Square One.
Dystopian poetry by Sam Oldman. Soundscapes and images are created with AI.
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