IN THE EARLY ERA

Chrome is Chameleon

In the early era of the Peoples Republic of Poetry (PRP), it was characterized as “a State of Mind, popularly known as the imagination.” The PRP could not remain as airy nothings but preferred to be fairy somethings; a state made up entirely of imagination, ie. an imaginary state. So, how do states behave and identify themselves: flags, banners, clothing, anthems, colours, speeches, policy, text, and symbols?

In Ancient Poeman rhymes, poets referred to the Greek or Roman Gods -- their jealousies, rages, loves, and lives. Those Gods were the metaphors/analogs of the age. Then came the monotheistic Gods, and poets referred to them, their prophets and angels, chapter and verse. In the post-modern age, the great agents of influence are governments; the state decrees, declares, censures, provides, enforces, educates, prevails. The PRP chromes the characteristics of state, wielding satire and poetic justice to reflect and deflect.

This required the formulation of policy.

The PRP was launched with a Coat of Arms, doubling as its flag, crafted from gleaming chrome mylar. Shaped like a vintage television cathode ray tube, The Coat of Arms emulates the greyscale test pattern that marked the start of broadcast television during the b&w analog era. At its center, it features a 1970s mainframe computer tape reel, subtly echoing both the radioactive symbol and the peace sign.

Chrome was selected as the imagine national ‘colour’ because it reflects all colours within its surroundings, embodying inclusivity. It chameleons environmental change in real time. Chrome’s shallow sheen appropoetically reflects the times, tastes and spaces in which we live.

The Poetburo requested that the Poetariet wear ‘white clothing’ at artofficial poetic events. Chrome and white. Video cameras in the 70s were uber sensitive to light. Well duh! Pointing the lens at the sun or other bright light caused burns on the camera’s photoconductive target layer. Surveillance cameras are largely stationary -- they can be blinded by shining a bright light into their lens. Chrome and white cause flares and make it difficult to maintain focus. The motive was to interfere with the State’s surveillance ability to video/photo a public event accurately and completely. The PRP regards the news media as an adjunct to the State. The PRP provided its own photographers and videographers to document and possess the clearest, complete record of its events.

The policy of the PRP instructs the Poetariet to reply to all queries from any media not controlled by the PRP by replying, “I am at liberty not to say”. It is a re-verse, in-verse of the perverse, “I am not at liberty to say” which is how the State gags itself from self-textposure. This impasse requires the media to describe to their viewers what they witnessed in their own words. Invariably the media make stuff up or fake stuff up.

The PRP provided film and videotape to Units of Verse from the Unitverse of the Poetariet for documentation and poetic justice. This was consistent with the policy of LITTLE BROTHER WATCHES BACK. While the PRP self-reflects its actions, it deflects the actions of foreign media.

In accordance with the sub-policy of FAKE MUSE IS VERSE THAN FAKE NEWS, the PRP does not always disavow fake news, but textploits it to spin yarns that authenticate The Narrative of the PRP’s poetpetual struggle against mediocrity and the textcesses and textaggerations of the state. The policy of LITTLE BROTHER WATCHES BACK sub-verses state narratives by in-versing the clone&cliche@deepsix.gov. This, combined with white clothing and chrome flares, spins their narrative out of control. By saying that “I am at liberty not to say,” the news media have nothing to hang their narrative on, so they have to make something up, and invariably, it is mediocre. The Poetariat are units of verse of the Unitverse.

For example, Poetician1 was giving an Impress Release at York University’s tv studio. Poetician1 wore a white suit with a chrome faceless shield. Poetician1 stood behind a chrome lectern. The tv crew attempted to spray the chrome to reduce glare but were prevented from doing so. They were forbidden to alter the characteristics of the PRP. They would have to deal with the flare and glare with their own technology. Poetician1 would turn their head right or left or a bit upward, and the camera was full of flares from tv studio lights, and the reporters reflected in the chrome lectern distorted in and out of focus as they moved. It was a nightmare for the recording studio, but a successful textperiment for the PRP.

The ’chrome faceless shield’ is made of chrome mylar. It has various densities to suit various environments. The chrome faceless shield has the same characteristics as mirrored sunglasses. The wearer can see through the ‘shield’, enabling the wearer to be both public and private simultaneously. It protects the security of the Poetariet when they poeticipate in public poetic events. It foils facial identity cameras. The whole world’s a stage has been upgraded to the whole world’s a studio and we are but momentary pixels.

Chrome placards shaped like computer datacards were developed by the Creative Intelligence Anarchy in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Inspiration. Many contained multilingual poetic slogans. Chrome placards served the purpose of reflecting sunlight into the lens of all surveillance and news media cameras, thereby re-versing their ability to obtain a record.

There is more to white clothing than just causing video interference. White and chrome projects a gleaming, clean, cool, cold image of technology. White is nerdwear for technologists, technicians, clinicians, and units of verse of the unitverse. All units of verse of the unitverse identify with their namber (name+number) aka SIN, Single Identifying Number. By their sins ye shall know them, and by digital id all your sins will be known in pixels perpoetually.

That’s quite a bit for now. Some policies were developed or altered in accordance with the evolution of communications technology and the creativity of the Imagine Nation of the glorious Peoples’ Republic of Poetry powered by verbs since words were tongued.