Shelly Bryant (b. 1971)
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Cyborg Chimera
Written by Shelly Bryant
Dated 30 Nov 2020
When I heard about this project, I immediately thought it was the perfect opportunity to rework the titular poem from my first poetry collection, Cyborg Chimera (2009).
lion’s torso decked out
eagle’s talons, wings, and beak
codes zip across synapses
a scaly serpentine tail
swishes in fiery heat
fingers clack on the console
a screech over bloody prey
as if saying grace
the release at game’s end
I’ve always felt it somehow wrong that the titular poem is not one of the strongest in the collection. I’m not sure if the reworked version makes it one of the strongest of that group of poems, but I do think it strengthens the piece, and if Cyborg Chimera were being reprinted today, it would be with this version of the poem.
lion’s torso decked out
two heads exchange a glance
codes zip across synapses
a scaly serpentine tail
swishes in fiery heat
scales pulsing with yellow light
a winged horse swoops in
its rider’s spear lofted
hot lead floods the beast’s throat
backup systems brought online
flaming breath, backfiring
in a lump of melted components
a screeching neigh
over bloody prey
the release at game’s end
In reworking it, I realised that the original vision I had in mind wasn’t very well defined. In fact, now, more than ten years after the piece was written, I can’t recall what I was trying to achieve in the first place. That’s a bad sign. In reworking it, I went back to the mythological representations of the Chimera and started from there, modifying the things I had changed about the mythological creature (since I can’t remember what the changes were meant to achieve). The most obvious result was that it has lengthened the poem, which I think allows for a somewhat clearer picture of the events as they unfold.
I think this is an improvement, but honestly, the title is still my favourite thing about the poem. I will continue working with it, I think. Even with this round of revisions, it still needs more attention before it is just right.
