WoPoLi

The body inside digital language

The body inside digital language

Although Sondheim uses technical language, his writing is not cold or purely conceptual. The editorial description emphasizes that it remains bodily, erotic, wounded, humorous, and obsessive. This tension is central to the method: formal machine language collides with sweat, desire, pain, shame, breath, and physical vulnerability.

A Sondheim-inspired poem might therefore place the body inside a computational structure:

The System

/body/mouth/tongue
loading language…

saliva entered the keyboard
and every command became want

The computer does not replace the body. It reveals how difficult it is to translate bodily experience into organized systems.

Dictionary Command

CUT: penetrate with an edged instrument
CALL INSTRUMENT

INSTRUMENT: device used to produce music
CALL MUSIC

MUSIC: vocal, instrumental, mechanical sound
CALL SOUND

SOUND: a particular

OUTPUT PARTICULAR
ERROR: definition incomplete

NECESSARY → ESSENTIAL → NECESSARY

while(necessary) { define(necessary); }

ERROR: infinite definition

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About the Author: Sarah B. Royal

Sarah B. Royal’s writing defies convention. Her poetry and prose traverse the boundaries between structure and spontaneity, often weaving together philosophical inquiry, cultural reflection, and personal narrative. With a background in experimental literature, she is known for crafting works that challenge readers to engage intellectually and emotionally.

Her acclaimed palindrome performance play, 777 – A Story of Idol Worship and Murder, showcases her fascination with mirrored storytelling and thematic symmetry. In o x ∞ = ♥: The Poet and The Mathematician, Royal explores the intersection of poetic intuition and mathematical logic, revealing a unique voice that is both analytical and lyrical.

Royal’s collections—such as Lost in the Lost and Found, Haiku For You, Lantern and Tanka Too, and the WoPoLi Chapbook Series—highlight her commitment to neurodivergent expression and poetic experimentation. Whether through childhood verse or contemporary fusion poetry, her work invites readers into a world where language is both a tool and a playground.

Sarah B. Royal continues to expand the possibilities of poetic form, offering readers a deeply personal yet universally resonant experience. Her writing is a testament to the power of creative risk, intellectual depth, and emotional authenticity.

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