Silicon Wafer

This is the new transubstantial body

of sacrament,

what Ms. Albert & Mr. Zak

—even Sunday's family—partakes of

so fervently,

filing to the altar of the monitor,

electro-pulpit of the video screen.

Printed chips linked up, billions cut

from the great Silicon Wafer,

endlessly duplicated...

This is the new Host of hosts:

Metallic look-alike disc, shiny-sided,

mirror-sharp, brittle as the old communion

wafer,

cleaner breaking than glass, feather-light,

semiconducting, medium perfect for multi-

chemical coating,

the intricacy of mazework of microcircuitry,

to wire up and rule the world.

This is the miracle of Silicon Valley,

bread of the new, universal communion,

accomplishing what neither church

nor temple,

given centuries, could accomplish:

the netting of all nations into one fold.

This is the Vision of the high-tech God,

the great, sleepless dream of Technos:

This is my body. Take it, and divide it,

a trillion ways among the nations,

that a new covenant will bind

the generations.

1988