Encoding Old Space Poem by Emeka GOC

Encoding Old Space



The changing trends like the tide and seasons
Translated to the changing term of racism
When compared to the new flink algorithm
Digital and Institutional Bias
Old spirit not dead, only transformed the colour of her hair

The resume is perfect, the metrics are high,
But the software is trained on a different sky
It flags a first name, it filters a face,
A digital redline encoding old space
These are those, our preferences


No slurs in the hallway, no signs on the door,
Just code doing quietly what laws did before
The bias is sterile, the spreadsheets are clean,
A modern-day barrier kept on a screen.
If you do not understand, you are not welcome


But equity isn't a checkbox or trend,
And data won't fix what it's programmed to bend.
You speak so well, ' the comment falls,
A tiny brick in heavy walls.
Most diplomatic manner to call you outsider


The clutching of a leather purse,
A silent, generational curse.
The casual glance that locks the door,
The footprint tracked across the floor
Do you see my swagger, Am there up


They call it small, they say reframe
But water drops can do the same
A thousand cuts of quiet doubt,
Until the spirit wears right out
All aimed to underrate you, do not give in


Yet underneath the subtle sting,
The deepest roots still learn to spring
The boardroom is polished with banners of pride,
With slogans of progress and safety inside
Behind every fragrance, something is dying


They caption the photos, they publish the pledge,
While keeping the margins right close to the edge
They love the aesthetics, the look of the crowd,
As long as the voices are not quite too loud


But justice is deeper than marketing text,
It asks what you change, not what trend you buy next
The fabric is shifting, the masquerade breaks,
True healing demands what performance forsakes
Trace the Origen and be alert and aware


Everyday microaggressions and subtle exclusion
Performative activism and corporate culture
The currency of complicity crypto culture
For a trader in micro and macro economics