Ask the man
falling from a high building
whether gravity is a matter of opinion.
The ground will be
explaining things
shortly.
There are those,
bedecked with self-awarded
ribbons, who sculpt
with a hammer
and operate (on others only)
with a saw
and call it Vision.
Sipping from
half-filled goblets
gilded with a fur of mold,
their soapy smiles house parrot tongues,
moonstruck by
a slug in wolf's clothing.
Crows laugh
at windmills, and
nobody is eating the pets.
Fearful shills leave poisoned sugar out for each other
and force feed it to everyone
but no hourglass
fills upward.
Ask the man
falling from a high building
whether gravity is a matter of opinion.
The ground will be
explaining things
with impactful clarity
presently.
________
I hate most topical poetry and almost never write it, but something came over me. For Word Garden Word List--Calling a Wolf a Wolf.
Music: Emerson, Lake & Palmer Carn Evil #9
Your opening stanza definitely grabs the attention. Wow. "No hourglass fills upward" is rather brilliant. A slice of our current nightmarish reality, from fabulous title to the very last period. I also love the labels, especially bullshitters coming to bad ends. We live in hope. If only.
ReplyDeleteI love how you turn the words into such visceral feelings and images - wonderful indeed - Jae
ReplyDeleteThat 'something' that overcame you ~~ pure awesomeness!!!
ReplyDelete"moonstruck by
ReplyDeletea slug in wolf's clothing."
This is saw-edged commentary, Shay, that does justice to the topic, if not the kind of justice the "slug" deserves. I honestly don't understand how they continue to be so deceived even after they see what's being done in their electoral name.
Oh, I love this. It's dark, visceral truth. Shoot I love everything from title to the last word. This one has teeth in it. Oh, and thanks for pointing out the my/me thing on my poem. I meant it to be me.
ReplyDelete"their soapy smiles house parrot tongues ... " -- you are just SO MUCH FUN! like dessert at the end of my day.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to pick out what pleases me most about this. I think it may be the cadence. The words suggest a rant of Shakespearean dimensions, but the cadence makes it burn into the bones with its power and honesty. Your first and last stanzas bookend the heart of evil, its pettiness and its poverty with succinct and unarguable logic, while the language in between sears and soars. Topical, yes, but also fundamental and true. And poetry.
ReplyDelete"but no hourglass fills upward"! Wow Shay this is brilliant and spot on with raw and hard truths!
ReplyDelete