Warning: This Poem is Revolting
The reader’s face was blank
the words had not sunk in.
The poem had been read
but then he chucked it – in the bin!
He didn’t like that poem,
didn’t ascertain its meaning,
he was busy contemplating pies
and the cost of his dry-cleaning.
But this story is just beginning
for metaphor was pissed,
his very being was compromised,
he didn’t like being dissed.
Simile was similarly outraged,
like a prisoner denied a smoke,
he didn’t like this reader
who was dumb beyond the joke,
and narrative was spewing
she was livid, through and through,
she told as much to subject and shape,
and they were fuming too.
Symbolism was gnashing teeth,
a cross tattooed on her back.
Infuriated – an understatement –
she wouldn’t take no flack.
Outrageous cried the first stanza,
turning to the second,
this reader – talk about acting the goat,
is that what you would reckon?
K’noath, that’s pretty much how I do feel,
my tone is smoky red,
I’m only short but misunderstood
is not the way I’m read.
By now allusion was going crazy,
cartoon smoke came out his ears,
bit like the lies from Abbott’s mouth
before he safely engaged the gears.
Now rhythm and rhyme were plotting,
they were going with the flow,
let’s take revenge on this dim-witted dude
he knows not how low he will go.
The attributes of the poem united
in ranting, and bristling and bridling.
The theme would be taking revenge
and in this there would be no dam idling.
They gathered their weapons so swift –
there were knives, a chainsaw, an axe –
oh yes, they were ready for battle
and reader was not watching his back.
The reader’s face was blank
as you’d suspect from someone dead,
he had failed to hear the music,
so they cut off his empty head.
______________________________________
Note: Recently there was an interesting comment thread on Aussie writer Nigel Featherstone’s blog where we were talking about a ‘poem … going to go wild and violent due to being shunned and misunderstood!’ Nigel asked me to write the poem (we will soon be making the movie 😉 ).
Oh what a perfect way to start a writer’s day…I just love your poem…but we may have to put warning labels on our poems to readers. 🙂
the day may come Charles 😉
LOVE IT!
Particularly enjoyed this: ‘By now allusion was going crazy/cartoon smoke came out his ears/bit like the lies from Abbott’s mouth/after he’s safely engaged the gears’.
(PS Is there an apostrophe issue in the first line of the first and last stanza? Sorry, I’m a dreadful pedant.)
(PS Perhaps my pedantry makes the poem even more revolting?)
ah, we can’t have that – now it’s fixed – thanks Nigel (I always appreciate editorial input) – thought you would enjoy the alluding to Abbott – hahahaha
Hahahaha 😄 Oh, this is utterly superb!! And just love the tie in at the start and end. Fabulous, Gabe!
yes, I was a bit worried about how it could end, but then it just came to me 😉 I was also looking at having a whole pack of poems (sonnet, free verse, ghazal, haiku and friends) ganging up on a few readers – but it didn’t work out so well 😀
Oh! just the Tonic I needed.
thanks seanthebookonaut 😀
Oooh, that’s unsettling, Gabrielle. I’d better be very polite to my writing from now on….
hahaha I am sure you always give your words the respect they deserve Kate 😀
that’s a fun read!
thanks Juliet – it was fun to write (I have to say that or they might hurt me 😉 )
Clever!
🙂