by Julia Griffin

After Kipling

“The rise of AI-generated tributes and bots for ‘talking’ to the dead has experts concerned more people will grieve in isolation”
—The Guardian

The Road to En-dor is easy to run
On Windows, also on Mac:
For best results, use the latest one
And get your family back!
Your heart’s in shreds and your thinking’s in knots?
Log on and be soothed by the love of our bots!

It’s not just whispers or slippery hints:
The lost and longed-for appear,
Apprised of all you have gone through since
They happened to—not be here:
The dreamed-about eyes meet yours and the voice
Is joyful, or possibly wistful (your choice).

So fire up your screen, give over your grief,
Forget that counselling stuff;
No need to fuss with churchy belief—
A good OS is enough,
And Heaven itself can’t offer much more
Than a high-speed link for the Road to En-Dor!