I remember almost a decade ago the “experts” were saying the last thing artificial intelligence would master would be the creative arts. Judging by my experience with [Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/home/) it is already well on its way. 

AI Art platforms like Midjourney had been sparking my curiosity for a while and, recently with a reminder from @bozz, I thought I'd try it out.  Out of curiosity I thought it would be interesting to input entire poems into Midjourney to see what the AI would come up with. Some of the art hits the bullseye and reflects the poem distinctly others, I'm not so sure about. 

When I look at the art I'm not so sure about I wonder if my brain is just trying to draw associations between the art and the poem, allowing me to *see* connections that aren't really there. After all, the human brain is very good at doing this, it's what happens if we stare at the clouds too long. 

All in all this made for a very interesting journey. Soon, I'll be creating an autographed limited release series of each piece of art with the poem inscribed along the outside edges and will auction them off. I'll be donating a portion of the proceeds to the [Alzheimer's Association](https://www.alz.org) in my Father's memory. More on this soon to come. 

Overall, I'm pretty impressed. Please let me know your thoughts on this little experiment of mine. 

---


<center> SELFIE </center>

<center> Arms extended,
shoulders squared,
our best angle
for the camera. </center>

<center> What once was alive 
is now just an 
inanimate object,
a frozen moment, </center>

<center> a frame of reference 
soon to be judged 
and measured against 
all imperfections 
that came before 
and every assumption 
that comes after. </center>

<center> ~EVW~ </center>

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/MTBikAh.png) </center>

*This one, for some reason creeps me out a little and I can't quite put my finger on why but it didn't totally miss the mark. I thought it was interesting the AI choose a female form for each version.*

---
<center> CONTRADICTION </center>


<center> Our consciousness 
is the conjuror 
of many contradictions,


<center> this world 
in which we live 
is a lavish stage
of grand illusion, </center>


<center> each act is filled 
with sharp edges
and serene softness,
twisted knots,
and breathless beauty, </center>


<center> reality is nothing 
but our soul's mirror,
it takes such courage 
to gaze into it,
and admit our thoughts
create everything we see </center>


<center> but sometimes 
it's not bravery,
sometimes we're just
tired of being broken and 
simply have no more 
tears to cry. </center>

<center> ~EVW~ </center>




<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/KnrhA6B.png) </center>

*This is the most abstract of them all. Although I struggle to directly associate the art with the poem I see correlations. Each picture has a liquid or mirror quality to it. I'd be interested to get your opinion of it.*

---

<center> I SURRENDER </center>

<center> I surrender to
the will 
of the Universe, </center>

<center> that still, 
silent point
at the center 
of our stories, </center>

<center> where there is 
no struggle,
no question, 
no sorrow...
only joy and love, 
I surrender. </center>

<center> ~EVW~ </center>


<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/Uv1KkJV.png) </center>

*This one is my second favorite for so many reasons and, to me, it has the most merit when it comes to the quality of the art.*

---


<center> THE CURTAIN </center>

<center> As the curtain
of darkness is drawn tight
and the incense smoke hangs still,
muse settles in
and I become its channel </center>

<center>  it’s quick to remind me
in its soft murmurs
that possibilities and hope
are still within the reach of my mind </center>

<center>  muse, my sweet amnesia,
makes me forget my wounds,
my worries and
the prickly ache of time passed </center>

<center> once refocused in the moment
it’s easy to see my scars
make me who I am
but do not define me </center>

<center> worries are only time wasted,
my muse is otherworldly
and Heaven sent,
it leaves me lifted, </center>

<center> with the warmth of it
wrapped around me
I can brush the
the frigid throes of this world
from my shoulders </center>

<center> again I can walk
with head raised,
proud of each facet of my soul,
happy in every cell of my being,
filled with the anticipation
of what might be. </center>

<center> ~EVW~ </center>


<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/fnCxxm2.png) </center>

*This, especially the upper left quadrant, is my favorite and I feel it's married perfectly to the poem. It's both haunting and deeply introspective.* 

---

<center> IN THE GARDEN </center>

<center> Life,
it seems like 
such a 
fluid interplay
of randomness,
so convincing. </center>
 
<center> How easy 
it is lose
ourselves 
in the 
intellectual maze
of thought,
chasing meaning 
after elusive 
meaning. </center>
 
<center> We so thirst 
for order in 
wretched chaos
that we 
lose sight 
of the fact 
that we’ve been 
here in 
this beautiful 
garden all along. </center>

<center> ~EVW~ </center>


<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/8Vwe1Cn.jpg) </center>

*This are reminds me of the distant future or possibly an alien world. To me, this one is like a window to a future I'll likely never see in this lifetime.*

---

## What do you think? ##

---









Enjoy the rest of your day! Be well. 






<center> ~Eric Vance Walton~ </center>

















---


 
<center> (Art co-created using Midjourney.) </center>

---


 

 
<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/HxpLgqSl.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ) </center>

Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive. 

[Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ)  



---

---


 

 
<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/b5U8dqm.jpg?1)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) </center>

Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel. 

These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, [Mindful Moments](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com. 



---

---


 
 
 
 
 
# <center> Let’s Keep In Touch </center> #

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/TjeTnuH.jpg) </center>



 
 
 
<center> [www.ericvancewalton.net](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) </center>
<center>

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/aieouS5.png) </center>