I’ve just been checking myself on Google. It’s not a pursuit for the faint-hearted or the modest.
I am, it seems, a prominent British haibun poet and my work is frequently published in leading haiku and haibun journals where it is a regular fixture in journals like Contemporary Haibun Online, Drifting Sands Haibun, and the Wales Haiku Journal. Another entry records that I am a contemporary writer known for my haibun, often featured in journals like Contemporary Haibun Online, where my works explore everyday observations, life changes, and poignant reflections on subjects like old mills, cormorants, funerals, and war-torn landscapes, showcasing my keen eye for detail and emotional depth within short, evocative pieces.
It then cites a Guardian article about me and has a line that says “AI responses may include mistakes”
They are not wrong about that.
The Simon Wilson in the Guardian is younger than me, better groomed, more successful and, above all, Australian.
There are many Simon Wilsons spread around the place, including several who are poets or journalists, so there is plenty of room for confusion. However, much of what they say is factually accurate even though it has been fashioned into something capable of giving a misleading picture of me and my work. “Prominent” and “fixture” are both pushing the boundaries of accuracy, to be fair, and some of the other stuff is rather flattering too. However it’s nice to see AI in action. I am now aware that it has been programmed to add a veneer of sophistication and success to our achievements and, as such will definitely be taking over the world. It’s easy to resist an evil genius, but far harder to be cynical about flattery. Who doesn’t like to be described as “prominent” and “a regular fixture”? I can already feel myself beginning to admire AI for its good taste.




It is an honour to be connected, even if only virtually, to such a distinguished person as yourself. I hope that Julia was impressed, or have you kept this research a secret from her?
I did mention it to her once or twice, but she remains unimpressed. She was impressed once when I fed my photo into a site for checking photos. The men I most resembled, according to the accompanying news articles, were flashers, alcoholics and a man who had been arrested for his own safety after attempting to castrate himself. I’ve not tried it since.
I love the robins! They do seem to be contemplating deep thoughts when not thinking of food. 🙂
We live in interesting times. 🙂
If Robins were in charge, I wonder how different it would be. Worms, I imagine, would find things harder . . .
Worms would definitely have a harder time. I can envision a daytime soap opera, “As The Worm Turns”.
Or possibly a poem title . . .
😂 I wonder what it says about LA
I entered “LA New York Blogger” and now know a lot more about Los Angeles than I did before, and how all the smart LA bloggers are moving to New York. I had to search under my real name and various poetry/haibun tags before hitting anything. Good luck.
Also, as I toldTP elsewhere in the comments, I once put a photo into a comparison site and things did not work out well. Avoid!
I put my blog name in after I read your post. It’s fairly generic. But now I’m going to overthink this….
That’s what I thought. “LA,” I thought, “will rise from her sickbed to examine this from all sides and ask searching questions . . .”
🙂 Good to see you back.
Good to be back !!
🙂
very beautifull pic 👌
Thank you.
AI, it seems, can be so seductive.
I thought I was old and cynical, but the subtle flattery won me over. 🙂