The Digital Men

We are the digital men Lost in our devices, Our eyes focused and fixed On our glass-cased universe, Fingers a flutter

Searching for content and data, Interesting but meaningless.

Our minds are set in worlds far away, In places with no here or there. We have friends but no kindred spirits, Contacts but no connections.

We do not know noon

Or morning or evening; Night could be day

Or day could be night; It does not matter.

The caress of a warm breeze Does not touch us

The hue of the evening sun Makes no impression. Our bodies like rusty buoys Float but are secured In silted harbours. Our self-appointed chains

Weigh heavy And keep us from Our perpetual ephemeral pursuits.

Symbols without letters, Letters without words, Words without narratives, Narratives without stories, Stories without listeners.

We are the digital men Reduced to a zero-one world.

Penn Relays 2019

I ran the Penn Relays today

A mere 48 years after I actually did

It was much easier this time

Re-creating old memories

In my mind

And on a tread mill

I led off again

The fabled 4 mile relay

Every lap broken into

15 second segments

It is easier that way

Otherwise four laps seems just too far.

The first segment - round the turn

Ending where my team mates

And friends urge us on

Then the backstretch

Always the most quiet place

Where you gather your thoughts...maybe.

Then into the Jamaican corner

Where the bongo drums

A sea of black and yellow

Observe but await the sprints

Or a colossal misstep over the water jump

An unexpected dose of entertainment.

Lap 1 done and feeling good

Stay out of trouble, keep good position

Steady, in third or fourth

Keep the pace, relax

Three more to go

No bongo drums this time round.

Two laps to go and tensions rising

Pace edging up ever slightly

Stay relaxed although

It is no longer effortless

Still in third but

It’s time to move.

Now one more to go

The pace increases and all alone

I hear the voice of a friend

And the sounds of the bongo

The crowd rises as they see

The fabled four of yet another Wildcat team

And finally the home stretch

Shrouded with rising efforts

And the crescendo of the crowd

That brings everyone home

Cementing memories for a lifetime

Or 48 years later...

Win the Penn Relays!

About the Author

Jerry Bouma grew up on a family dairy farm outside Owen Sound, Ontario. His parents emigrated from Holland in 1951 with several suitcases and nary a word of English. In 1960 they purchased one of the most beautiful farms in Grey County near the village of Leith overlooking Georgian Bay.

Jerry is the second oldest of six children. He had a great interest in such sports as hockey and baseball, however his duties on the farm precluded his involvement in team sports. As a result, he took up running in high school and by the time he was 17, he set several junior Canadian records in the 1500 meters and 1 mile run. In 1970, he became the first Canadian to secure an athletic scholarship to Villanova University, Pennsylvania during an era when it was home to some of the best middle distance runners in the world. Jerry went on to earn his B.Sc. in Mathematics as well as run the metric equivalent of a 4.01 mile.

After graduation he built on his interest in economics and farm experience by completing a graduate degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Guelph. Subsequently Jerry has spent his entire career as a management consultant in the agriculture and food industry. He has worked in every province of Canada including the Northwest Territories.

Jerry has written hundreds of reports, proposals and produced thousands of documents over the course of his professional career. Beyond the Woodshed is his first artistic endeavor.