zumpoems

I am pleased to announce Zumwalt’s recent poem “Elegy for a close attachment” has been published today at the respected topical poetry site, New Verse News: https://newversenews.blogspot.com/2025/11/elegy-for-close-attachment.html

Here was the original poem written by Zumwalt:

Elegy for a close attachment

I once loved this world–my world–which
danced with emdashes–
the best kind–
at end of lines–
seemed so clean–
went directly to the heart
–or at start of lines
or–in-between

now, it is the mark of the beast,
and I accept the notice to
cease and desist:
doing my best to
return to,
and better
learn, the
effective incorporation of proper punctuation.

–zumwalt (October 2025)

And then Zumwalt made a slight revision to align with this news story: It’s been discussed online for some time how ChatGPT’s excessive use of em dashes are more like a bug than a feature. Finally, Sam Altman and team have come to the rescue.   As discussed in this November 14th news story, Sam Altman posted on X,  a few minutes before midnight on November 13th: “Small-but-happy win:  If you tell ChatGPT not to use em-dashes in your custom instructions, it finally does what it’s supposed to do!”  

https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/14/openai-says-its-fixed-chatgpts-em-dash-problem/

Elegy for a close attachment

I once loved this world–my world–which
danced with em dashes–
the best kind–
at end of lines–
seemed so clean–
went directly to the heart
–or at start of lines
or—in-between.

Now, it is the mark of the beast,
and I accept Sam’s notice to
cease and desist:
doing my best to implement on request
the effective incorporation of proper punctuation.

–zumwalt (revised November 14, 2025)