It’s Wordle time!
This week’s words were pulled from a widely published poet’s work.
Your prompt this week is to pick one or any number of these words and write a poem!
Next week we’ll reveal who the mystery poet is in the Come One, Come All post.
We hope this prompt will inspire you to read and write more poetry!
LITTLE PEOPLE
Ever wondered where Heaven is?
Look around you, you will find
The land of milk and honey is
A suburb of purgatory
Where the ignorant know comfort
Through preying on our misfortune
While our own children go hungry
Though seemingly oblivious
To the dull ache in their stomachs
Ambition can be dangerous
When living in the Dark Ages
Where we play out our walk-on part
In the lives of wannabe stars
Therefore we do not resent them
We offer only thanks and praise
Cough timidly for attention
As we tug at our forelocks
… We’re a people who know our place.
I'm sure I recognise those faces.
ReplyDeleteThanks Changnoi; Really...?
ReplyDeleteGood use of the words. I really like this: "Where we play out our walk-on part / In the lives of wannabe stars" and then that last line. There's a great resigned quality to this.
ReplyDeleteI think it ate my last comment. I'll try again. I love the resigned feeling in this. Especially: "Where we play out our walk-on part / In the lives of wannabe stars" and then the last line. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteWow liking the blog dressing change! This is powerful in an underhanded sort of way. It leaves the reader unsure. The last line is a sucker punch.
ReplyDeleteThanks to:
ReplyDeleteJames; Some people just get on with it.
Dee; It's not about jealousy - just saying "so what?"
Excellent poem, Stan. I love this:
ReplyDeleteThe land of milk and honey is
A suburb of purgatory
http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com
Thanks TLH; Every town has it's well to do and not so well to do areas.
ReplyDeleteA compulsive read, Stan.
ReplyDeleteThe indictment of x-factor-type adulation is terrific.
ViV
Thanks ViV; Guess which people are happier...?
ReplyDeleteI love the first stanza especially - the land of milk and honey as a suburb of purgatory is a wonderful image. It might have us all looking around and trying to figure out just where we are!
ReplyDeletehttp://inthecornerofmyeye.blogspot.com/2010/06/looking-for-love.html
Thanks Mary; And we may not like what we see once our eyes are opened.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Stan! Loved "The land of milk and honey is A suburb of purgatory." It's a wonderful image!
ReplyDeleteA pretty damning indictment of the comfortable affluent from an unusual perspective, that of the mythology of a religion (we cannot forget that both Christianity and Capitalism grew out of the same culture). Heaven on Earth in the unbalanced way it occurs is a suburb of purgatory in that it produces Hell on Earth for others. Brilliant, Stan. And so is the image.
ReplyDeleteDang Stan, I've spent a multitude of moments wondering where heaven is...you nailed this piece. Here's a challenge for you...Answer the same question in a positive light. Where is heaven, then? In the eyelash of a child, an opening flower...ah think of the possibilities!
ReplyDeleteWell constructed piece. The picture is interesting, I keep going back to it. It fits the Big Tent...something about it reminds me of a circus.
Love this line:
ReplyDelete'The land of milk and honey is
A suburb of purgatory'
You have created quite the image here Stan!
Pamela
powerful piece, Stan. gives us a lot to think about; but I doubt if those who should think about it ever really do.
ReplyDelete(your new background gives me a smile everytime I peek in here, btw. I love it.)
strong piece from such an innocuous word list.
ReplyDeleteI like that purgatory line, too.
A great usage of such random words. You found a strong way to show us our fears. It needs no repeating but "The land of milk and honey is a suburb of purgatory" is a striking line.
ReplyDelete"cough timidly for attention" is a great image. one of those actions that speaks volumes!
ReplyDeleteA stunning poem with a message, Stan! And to think it came out of a wordle.
ReplyDeletehttp://troublebeingstrong.blogspot.com/2010/06/call-to-hunger.html
"Where the ignorant know comfort" - I like that line. You've fashioned a powerful statement from that Wordle.
ReplyDeleteThe poem built, and built. The ending is terrific, with the last set-up of humility: "Cough timidly for attention/ As we tug at our forelocks" ... well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks to:
ReplyDeleteMarianne;
Brenda;
Brenda W;
Pamela;
Angie;
Barbara;
Robert;
Carolee;
Diane;
Mr. Walker;
Deb;
All your comments are appreciated.
A very interesting and thought provoking poem.
ReplyDeleteFirstly I would like to respond to Viv's question..Answer: the ones with the full bellies..no-one is happy who is starving.
Know thy place is everywhere.Sounds like the catechism doesn't it? Culturally ( and I smirk when I use this term)forelock tugging is unacceptable here in 'the lucky country' Conversely if you don't communicate on a very average level with the linguistic intonation of a
farm hand you are labelled as prentious and elitist and a troublemaker eg a group of Nigerians, recent arrivals
in Tasmania who spoke above average English with a mellifluous British/sub continent accent were
'encouraged 'to learn the broad Australian accent so as to fit in with the locals. Are blacks with superior language skills threatening? I hope so. GOOD!
Thanks Rall; Hungry is really a metaphor for everything but food. Most things that walk, fly swim and grow are edible. A lot of the non edible trappings of affluence are what are hard to stomach for the have not's.
ReplyDeleteAnd feeling threatened by emrging or developing skills in others is a natural by-product of capitalism anyway...
This poem makes my heart ache. I thought this was a great phrase:
ReplyDeleteWhere we play out our walk-on part
In the lives of wannabe stars
(seemingly) not even feel it . . .
Thanks Nan; In 'Purgatoty' stardom is just a commodity, regardless of talent. Money not only talks but does most of the walking too.
ReplyDeleteVery strong, and I loved the doomed, yet sarcastic feel of the piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cynthia; You took it with the pinch of salt it required.
ReplyDeleteSuch a powerful piece - mind boggling use of the prompt words.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tumblewords; As I scribbled away I saw a theme developing, and this is how it turned out.
ReplyDelete