High-Definition As At Sinai Poem by gershon hepner

High–definition has become
the standard that is now expected
from things we see, however dumb,
so all their faults may be inspected
close-up and personal, not blurred,
as perfect as the skin of anchors,
and fault of those who’ve erred,
not only movie stars, but bankers
whose blemishes can’t be concealed
from pixels crowding on the screen.
In high-def truth will be revealed
however awkward or obscene.
Quite perfect now will be our sight,
although our sense of hearing may
lag far behind, and even might
raise problems before judgment day.

While we’ll see truth lie down like lambs
beside the lions as predicted
by Isaiah, plastic scams
by surgeons will be interdicted,
like those of bankers and of course
the talking heads who rule the waves
and fiction don’t from facts divorce
when conning us in their conclaves,
no messianic era now
will start although we have high-def,
which aided by high-tech know-how
will cure the blind, because the deaf
unfortunately by it won’t
by pixels that are multiplying
become alert to those who don’t
give up on their cosmetic lying.
Our sight will be in sharper focus,
but hearing won’t improve at all,
so we remain to hocus-pocus
addicted and in utter thrall.
Like Israelites at Sinai we
will see the truth, but will not hear;
like them we’ll say: “We like to see
the truth, but hearing it we fear.”

Inspired by an article by Maureen Dowd in the NYT on June 4,2009 (“Pixilated Over Pixels”) and Exod.20: 15–16:
Women are faking it in bedrooms all over America. “When my husband says, ‘Can you believe how much better this is? ’ I say, ‘Yes, honey, it’s amazing, ’ ” one woman told me. “I really don’t see that much difference, but he’s so happy, I just pretend to.” As an explosion of pixels hits our TV screens this weekend, with the digital and high-def revolution, my unscientific survey shows women are less excited about high-def than men. I prefer life and TV to be a little gauzy. I don’t want to see every blemish in a harsh light. Joel Brinkley, the author of “Defining Vision, ” says HDTV technology was developed totally by men. Alfred Poor, author of the HDTV Almanac, says men drove its success, too. “Men are all about the bigger, better, more, ” he said. “And sports are infinitely better in high definition.” The advent of sleek flat screens began to shrink the gender gap. “Women went, ‘Ah, now it’s not just high-def, it’s a stylish piece of furniture, ”’ said Phillip Swann, founder of the Web site TVPredictions.com, which features lists of HDTV “horribles” (Cameron) and “honeys” (Angelina) . Everywhere I look, products are being pitched for a world in keener focus. At my eye exam last week, Dr. Jay Klessman used “Wavefront” technology, which he said could “make sort of like high-def glasses, with sharper, crisper vision.” (It was originally used to fix blurry images from the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993 and has also led to more precise Lasik.)

6/14/09