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Andy James Turner

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SM's Cave
by Andy James Turner → (All Poetry by Andy James Turner)
Friday, January 9, 2026    Rated "G" by the Author.
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.


Poem Artwork

 

 

 

As in Doubting Castle, Christian

remembered his own key.

Only by using it

was he free.

 

Now the fear of being left out

seduces 

you

scroll yourself

into voluntary captivity.

 

Entering the cave is pain-free,

no chains bind.

Reflected shadows

too expensive to flee.

 

Deeper than deep you feel yourself,

you’re falling in,

but the algorithms

already have you,

trading health

for dopamine wealth.

 

Forgetting what you’ve forgotten,

wrapped in the duvet of illusion

you pulled around yourself,

voluntary chains

binding you gently.

 

Children born

into emotional captivity,

sunlight forgotten,

the art of running free.

 

Once there was laughter

on the breeze,

within the trees

now only mythological memories.

 


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 Reviews of "SM's Cave"
Reviewed by Jms Bell
Reviewed on March 16, 2026
OFF THE CUFF I'D SAY, IT'S REALLY A TOTAL SHAME! THOSE GOD-GIVEN NATURAL THINGS THAT GAVE US AT LEAST SOME PLEASURE AND ENJOYMENT HAVE BEEN CAST ASIDE FOR....A CAVE! THE SPIRIT THAT OBSORBED AND THRIVED ON THE BEAUTY AND RICHNESS OF OUR WORLD IS NOW BEING CONSUMED BY A SCREEN AND MESSAGES, MANY PROGRAMMED, THAT SEEM TO DELIGHT BUT TURN US INTO ALPHA-EATING ROBOTS. BUT THEN, ANDY...ONE MUST BE HONEST. RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES...THIS ENTIRE WORLD IS DECLINING SO RAPIDLY. THE REALITY OF THIS IS SO FRIGHTENING...IS IT ANY WONDER THAT MANY 'RETREAT' TO THE 'TAINT' OF THE CAVE? THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Ronald Hull
Reviewed on January 10, 2026
Well written critique of the deep depression that addiction to social media brings many young people these days.

In the old days all you had to deal with were the local bullies who didn't amount to much, anyway.

Now, young people find themselves in big rooms, the size of the Internet itself, where they have to deal with really big bullies, telling them that they aren't worth anything unless they have 1 million hits or more on TikTok or whatever.

Ron

Reviewed by Alexander Shaumyan
Reviewed on January 9, 2026
Beautifully expressed. I'm reminded of Plato's parable of the cave. We create our own prisons by taking comfort in the world of shadows and illusions. I'm also reminded of the poem by E.E. Cummings:

pity this busy monster, manunkind,

not. Progress is a comfortable disease:
your victim (death and life safely beyond)

plays with the bigness of his littleness
--- electrons deify one razorblade
into a mountainrange; lenses extend
unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish
returns on its unself.
A world of made
is not a world of born --- pity poor flesh

and trees, poor stars and stones, but never this
fine specimen of hypermagical

ultraomnipotence. We doctors know

a hopeless case if --- listen: there's a hell
of a good universe next door; let's go


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