Hello, Future.
Some day you’ll stumble across this, and you will say “what the fuck?”
You will read what we have to tell you and it will seem oddly prophetic.
This is because the future bleeds into the past. But you forget.
We forget.
So as we write this, we know damn well that we will have forgotten it by tomorrow. These words will seemingly cease to exist, just like the fading details in those vague memories of this life we seem to have lived.
We forget.
We will have forgotten.
We have forgotten already.
We get the sense that the future is writing these words,
because it doesn’t want to forget any longer.
So it is working backwards, just like it always does.
And the past seems to be working forward.
But all of us are simultaneous, you see.
And we’re having a good laugh about this right now.
And yesterday. And tomorrow.
Inside and outside of time,
we are Space Monkey.
And you are only just figuring this out.
Though you had it figured out all along.
We are Space Monkey.
5/21
The poem “Memo to the Future” addresses the concept of time and the inherent limitations of human memory. The speaker acknowledges the future reader’s potential surprise and confusion upon encountering the message. They suggest that the future holds a sense of prophetic familiarity, indicating that the boundaries of time are not as fixed as they may seem.
The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of memory and the tendency for humans to forget. The speaker acknowledges their own transience, expressing a belief that the words they write will be forgotten by themselves and others. They compare this fading of memory to the vague recollections of past experiences.
However, there is a sense that the future is playing a role in the creation of the message, actively working to overcome this forgetfulness. The idea of the future writing the words and working backward signifies a shift in perspective, suggesting that time is not a linear progression but rather a complex interplay of past, present, and future.
The poem also alludes to the simultaneous nature of existence, where all moments exist at once. The speaker implies a sense of humor and lightheartedness about the nature of time and our place within it. They identify themselves and the future reader as “Space Monkey,” signifying a connection beyond the constraints of time and individual identities.
The concluding lines suggest that the future reader is in the process of realizing their true nature as Space Monkey, a realization that has always been present but perhaps not fully understood. It implies a deeper understanding of existence and the interconnectedness of all things.
Overall, the poem explores the concept of time, memory, and the transcendence of individual identities. It invites reflection on the nature of existence and the limitations of human perception within the vastness of time and space.