The poem “Celebrating, We No Longer Need a Heart” reflects on humanity’s relationship with technology, climate, and the evolving meaning of what it means to be human.
What happens when humanity finally achieves everything it has dreamed of?
Would we celebrate—or discover that, somewhere along the way, we quietly abandoned the very thing that made us human?
Celebrating, We No Longer Need a Heart
By Cathy Xinman
Sunday arrives.
My head still filled with fire,
the ice lingering in my eyes
rivals the salmon just served.
White smoke rises from the plate.
Humans play it cool in all manner of ways;
I self-harm with the bond of fire and ice.
Sleep, rise, speed-read robots—
yesterday has already changed.
The 21st century has no need for night.
Nightmares, sweet dreams, demons, beasts—
all eradicated.
Ice will no longer need to wake nor melt;
the sea will not be able to rise.
Humanity has successfully defended its home.
Let’s celebrate:
we have given all our sincerity.
Celebrate, my dear—
we no longer need a heart.
Cathy Xinman writes poetry in English and Chinese. Find her English-language collection, Where You Love Yourself, on Amazon. You can also hear her poetry on her TikTok page. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
