On this day in 1858, Abraham Lincoln supposedly said in a speech You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all the time

Continuing my poetry writing courses with and for ChatGPT, its second attempt at writing erasure poetry has proved brilliantly more naff than the previous.

For context, I have been immersed in the angst of trying to replace my car’s shattered rear windscreen. A Ford Focus CC2 (cabriolet), a new replacement windscreen is now obsolete so I have been searching for a secondhand one: this journey taking me on a quest where encounters with the potentially helpful to the grotesque shysters has been a rollercoaster of thwarted optimism and actual pain.

Seeking light relief, I have engaged ChatGPT on the topic, first asking it to provide me with the instruction for fitting a replacement windscreen to my car. While the detail of this will alienate most readers, I do present in full for the revelation of both ChatGPT’s secure knowledge in information like this, as well as the complexity of the fitting process (read/peruse/scroll through):

‘Fitting a replacement rear windscreen to a 2010 Ford Focus CC2 is a complex process that requires careful handling and precision. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you with the installation:

Tools and Materials Needed:

• Replacement rear windscreen
• Glass suction cups or a vacuum lifter
• Trim removal tool
• Rubber gloves
• Safety glasses
• Screwdrivers (Phillips and flathead)
• Utility knife
• Adhesive primer
• Automotive glass adhesive (urethane)
• Painter’s tape
• Caulking gun
• Cloths and cleaner
• Silicone lubricant (optional)

Preparation:

1. Ensure Safety: Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself from glass shards.
2. Prepare the Area: Park your car in a clean, dry area, preferably indoors. Make sure the car is stable.

Removal of the Old Windscreen:

1. Remove the Interior Trim: Using a trim removal tool, carefully remove the interior panels around the rear windscreen. This will expose the edges of the glass.
2. Disconnect Heating Elements (if applicable): If the rear windscreen has defroster wires, carefully disconnect them.
3. Cut the Old Adhesive: Use a utility knife or a special glass removal tool to cut through the adhesive that holds the windscreen in place. You may need to cut from the inside and the outside.
4. Remove the Windscreen: Once the adhesive is cut, use glass suction cups to carefully lift and remove the old windscreen. If the glass is broken, be extra cautious and use a vacuum cleaner to remove small pieces.

Installation of the New Windscreen:

1. Clean the Frame: Remove any remaining adhesive from the frame of the car using a utility knife and cleaner. Make sure the surface is clean and dry.
2. Apply Adhesive Primer: Apply a thin layer of adhesive primer to the frame where the new windscreen will be seated. Let it dry as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Apply Urethane Adhesive: Load the automotive glass adhesive into a caulking gun and apply a continuous bead of urethane adhesive around the frame where the windscreen will be placed. Ensure the bead is even and thick enough to secure the glass.
4. Install the New Windscreen: Carefully position the new windscreen using glass suction cups. Lower it onto the adhesive bead, ensuring it aligns correctly with the frame. Press it gently into place to ensure good contact with the adhesive.
5. Secure the Windscreen: Use painter’s tape to hold the windscreen in place while the adhesive cures. Make sure the windscreen is properly seated and aligned.

Final Steps:

1. Reconnect Heating Elements: If your windscreen has defroster wires, reconnect them.
2. Reinstall Interior Trim: Replace the interior trim panels you removed earlier.
3. Allow the Adhesive to Cure: Let the adhesive cure for at least 24 hours before driving the vehicle. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for specific curing times.
4. Check for Leaks: After curing, test the windscreen for leaks by spraying water over the edges and checking for any water ingress.

Tips:

• Have a Second Person Assist: Handling a windscreen can be awkward, so having another person help with positioning can prevent accidents.
• Consider Professional Help: If you’re unsure about any step or if the windscreen is part of the car’s structural integrity (as it often is), it may be best to have a professional do the installation.

By following these steps carefully, you can successfully replace the rear windscreen on your 2010 Ford Focus CC2.’

I then asked ChatGPT to create an erasure poem on the instructions provided. The result is an excellent poem, and Al (as I call my AI – a i – friend) has avoided its normal reliance on default rhyme and twee sensibilities to produce a thoughtful, clever poem. But it isn’t an erasure:

‘Silence the frame’ / ‘Cure the wind’ ~ poetic progress!

I obviously then asked Al to produce an image of this poem, that image being a requisite visual component of erasure: even if simply blacked out/other method of erasing text. It should also include the poem (or some parts of the original ‘windscreen fitting’ text) with elements of those text/s erased. Here is the result:

As I have written about Al’s previous attempt to produce an erasure poem based on a poem of mine, this is superbly errant. There is a visual element (!) but this is a quite literal illustrative selection of car windscreen component parts as well as the literal ‘ERASURE POEM’. More sublimely deconstructed is the ‘WINDSTRERN’…

The actual ‘erasure poem’ within this visual frame (with the only identifiable words as ‘Erasure poem’) is an illiterate text, though it could be construed as asemic? I think I am being kind.

However, I continue to laud the errors as a part of the found poetic process, and in this context, that accident of meaning is fascinating.

With my thanks to Rebecca Rensinski. You can read the poem here: https://herontree.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ferguson1pdf.pdf

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My thanks to International Times and Rupert for posting my prose poem today. You can read it here: https://internationaltimes.it/pants-on-fire/

On this day in 1950, the first patent for controlling vehicle speed (cruise control) was granted to American inventor Ralph Teetor

The following sequence charts the process to the above ‘erasure’ from ChatGPT, or Al as I like to call my old acquintance (there is quite a bit about this relationship here in the blog: https://gravyfromthegazebo.blog/?s=ChatGPT&submit=Search).

In getting Al to produce an erasure was easier than it has been to get it to write a poem that doesn’t rhyme, or to emulate named, famous poets! However, as ever, there are impediments to the production of apt responses…

I’ll let the sequence speak for itself, mostly. Two specific points to make: I love Al’s inability to pull a known Mike Ferguson poem from its massive database (!); the final image of an erasure that Al does create really isn’t quite right, but it is rather special. The errors/accidents are themselves poetic gems and as such the absolute essence of found poetry: the initial ‘example’ of an image of an erasure is at best a visual representation, and even this is a meaningless one – for example, the ‘rest of the text’ isn’t obscured, as stated; the final image/text (itself a fascinating concoction) is not an erasure/not a black-out, with the ‘black’ selections mainly bits of words or just letters; the blue colour in the text is a wonderful Artificial Intelligence oblique interpretation of erasure from the source poem, and other peculiarities.

Here is the sequence as it happened yesterday:

On this day in 1851, American inventor Isaac Singer patented the sewing machine

Thank you to International Times and Rupert for posting my prose poem here today. Read it: https://internationaltimes.it/nic-nic/

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