Not Poetry. Quatrain Verse in English & Swedish. Dagsverser. On the Mundane & the Arcane.
He hid out in life
fearful of all strife
Engrossed amply, had a ball
dinked around without clues
lead no worthwhile life at all
thought Life here to amuse
Then rosy hued vigor drained
he veered off course, pace dropped
a purpose no longer feigned
Pretense gone. Thank God, flopped
Then bestowed a second chance
to pull his weight, not just prance
People wobbly, down weighted
munching on escapist diet
bodily temples sated
stuffed they’re suffering disquiet
Out on shopping paths cutthroat
for latest jolt quick fix
while can’t be bothered to vote
no time for politics
Shall they ever see themselves
as with manners oafish?
Unwittingly pushy elves
so utterly foolish
To instant gratification
they feel divinely ordained
In inane alienation
must always be entertained
What do folks so disconnected
think if they hear climate ‘change’?
Might their response be expected:
‘No exchange policy? Strange!’
These are observations not lies
watched most of them with my own eyes
+)
-elves = here: ace consumers, living out their acquisitive dreams, their pointed elf ears (antennas actually) honing in on best deals on the most popular items
One seeming seamless mall
with roars ‘cariphonia’
and merchandising gall
Of this consists its essence:
Ever fleeting new thrills!
Where to escape its presence?
High up in dusty hills!
The clear-eyed who wisely topangued
won’t so easily be harangued
+)
-‘cariphonia’ = the sound of cars in heavy traffic
-topangued = to move up in the hills of Topanga, away from LA
off with ding, ring or ting
or flashing lights show
then it ain’t the real thing!
If by naked eye seen
it ain’t observing
while when shown on a screen
real, worth preserving!
Smart new electronics
does not mind contradiction
though impairs mnemonics
it knows not of restriction
Cluelessly we vociferate
as its downsides proliferate
Stuck in hollow routine
everyday habits
where daily we careen
hop like do rabbits?
Thus we stagger overtired
in culture implicit
not unwittingly aspired
Hoping to elicit:
A conclusive escape unafraid
from consumerism’s shtick masquerade
“Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most.”
-Thucydides (c.460 B.C.– c.400 B.C.)
If restraint implies ‘voluntary’ restraint would we these days recognize something so over the top quaint?
Yes, in Antiquity
but regarded now
as mere obliquity
Here is why & how:
Today’s absence of restraint
sustains mindless shopping
above all for more war paint
unjust wars not stopping
Fans fiery fire
absent qualms
by our Empire
dropping bombs
While voices of restraint
raised rarely, echo faint
Beware of ads offering ‘free’ gifts
by busty ‘babes’ with rosy cheeks
Beware too that those composing gifs
might be high-tech chattering geeks
Beware of the neighbor’s dog
as well as of all rifts
Beware of much too strong grog
and those drunks draining fifths
Best always to stay aware
that Human Life doesn’t play fair
Car alarm going off
lights brightly flashin’
An electronic cough
in throbbing passion
Keeps us awake all night nearly
by pained wailing protraction
A system that cavalierly
advertises ‘protection’
Pounding our poor hearing
Will it not disarm?
Sure but, persevering
can’t wait to rearm
In this verse speaks a ‘victim’ of the suggestion, found outrageous, that she turn vegan to mitigate and delay the impending climate collapse:
Why must I be wary?
Who says I can’t eat
either eggs or dairy
chicken, pork or meat?
My palate shall come first
must taste delicious
Though my ‘for profit’ thirst
as well ambitious!
Never mind what I like eating
won’t the planet keep rotating?
While us humans run around & gush
the tide rises, sets absent all rush:
Twice daily reversing
when forward surging
flows without rehearsing
by moon’s might urging
Waves rolling back & forth
never known ailing
not in sorrow or mirth
ever found wailing
Forward, retreated
To shore replete
to sea depleted:
Cycle complete
Is our human ambivalence unfeigned
perhaps as well celestially aligned?