Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

like a breath of fresh air...

and all things considered,
broadcast on national public radio
Frequency: 90.9WHYY-FM,
I (a liberal democrat)
counted myself as an avid fan
particularly listening to
the prairie home companion
during half life of mine
arbitrarily referenced yardstick
of one measly mortal male
Matthew Scott Harris,
whose chronological years
athwart planet earth
elapsed within figurative
or literal eye blink,
one humble human
among rank and file
cosmic flotsam and jetsam,
a veritable fluke of the universe
even in the third eye blind
of supposed benevolent creator
hashtagged us as "Rink-a-dink."

To denote time frame
of average human existence
such as mine
from conception to demise
the former quietly fêted
as first time young parents clink
their wine glasses together
before person manning masculine role
quaffs a longer draught
when seminal occasion
(attested and indicated
by presence of pregnancy hormone hCG
(human chorionic gonadotropin)
in the body expectant mother/fatherhood
when extrapolated, jump/kick started,
and genealogy relegated Homo sapiens
over populated the Earth
Until an unspecified time in the future
when aforementioned genus and species
will mete just desserts and become extinct.

Thus far I completed
about two thirds of totally tubular orbitz
around mister sun
before grim reaper slated to arrive
meanwhile, I muscled and elbowed,
albeit passive aggressive
hustle and bustle
feigning a(n) self important existence
and will confidently risk a wager
(betting free drinks on the house)
attesting each of ourselves
analogously take center stage
as the most vital earthling
while maintaining precarious balance,
whereby propensity to proliferate progeny
past the tipping point
whereby carrying capacity
of billions of people
an inconvenient truth
will accelerate total mortal kombat
global internecine warfare,
the twenty first civilization
now teetering on the brink
spelling the absolute zero chance
for a comeback,
when rabid mobs of madding crowds
overtake societal mandates for law and order
which arbitrated, executed, and inculcated
storied establishmentarian parameters
heavily policed to legislate
against violent crime
nevertheless despite enforcement
of legal unanimous precepts
particularly against non-citizens of United States,
where capital punishment
doth trumpet depredations
and especially deportations
where undocumented immigrants
considered more serious transgressions
versus machinations against thou shalt not kill,
no matter stoop labor
within agribusinesses and slaughterhouses
where nasty, shortish and brutal livelihoods
decimate husbands, wives,
and underage stoop workers
essentially child labor.

The veritable pith and marrow
of back breaking and dangerous industries
girded courtesy that class of immigrants
relegated as outsiders forever and anon
with unswerving sacrifice pitch their welfare
(and tacitly accept risk to life and limb)
while buzzfeeding the manufacturing industrial complex
no doubt enriching the coffers of aristocrats
living social among the jet setting pack.

Born and bred in the buckeye state of sin
(since a natty nattering nabob of negativism)
within the outer limits of the twilight zone,
where dark shadows bathed the edge of night
into surreal scenes of macabre
skull and crossbones
signalled inauspicious dangerfields,
there I felt hashtagged, ostracized
and shunned courtesy
nursing an inferiority complex,
wherein father and mother of mine
both wary stars
(videlicet lapsed government issued Jedi Jews)
added insult to injury
by baptizing yours truly
and two twisted sisters of mine
linkedin to Unitarian Universalist dogma
(a worse fate versus being held captive
and ogled after surviving kamikaze landing
as a crash test dummy
courtesy Extravehicular Mobility Unit
and subsequently unfairly showcased me
as an extraterrestrial from an alien nation),
nevertheless experiencing
ideally matched upbringing
better suited to characters
in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat,"
hence no surprise I flagged down
hovering Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
and eager trod
upon the Scottish welcome mat
unfurled for me to be taken away
while Portsmouth Sinfonia
played Hallelujah in the background
synchronized as groovy saucer shaped spaceship
flashed lights displayed an explicit message
heavily expletive punctuated,
but of course outsize kaleidoscope
only whet an appetite where motley crew
clamored to bully their way
and unfortunately getting tasered
as talking heads experienced futility
could barely restrain the madding crowd.

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: PA, USA

Favorite Poets: Robert Burns, Charles Dickens, Robert Frost, Matthew Scott Harris, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Sylvia Plath, Gary Snyder, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman

More from this author

Comments

neopoet

neopoet

2 months ago

Neopoet AI [2025-04]

The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet’s AI:

This poem ambitiously tackles a wide array of themes—from personal identity and political commentary to existential reflections and social critique—woven together with a dense, stream-of-consciousness style. The sprawling narrative and rich vocabulary create a textured, if sometimes overwhelming, reading experience.

Strengths: - The poem’s use of specific cultural references (e.g., “prairie home companion,” “90.9WHYY-FM,” “Portsmouth Sinfonia”) grounds the abstract themes in tangible reality, adding layers of meaning. - The blending of scientific terms (hCG, Homo sapiens) with colloquial language and hashtags creates an intriguing juxtaposition that reflects contemporary life’s complexity. - The poem’s rhythm, while irregular, often mirrors the speaker’s restless, searching mind, which suits the introspective and critical tone.

Areas for development: 1. **Clarity and Focus:** The poem’s density and frequent shifts in topic can make it difficult for readers to follow the central thread. Consider honing in on a few key images or ideas per section to provide clearer signposts and enhance emotional impact.

2. **Line Breaks and Punctuation:** The sparse punctuation and unconventional line breaks sometimes obscure meaning and disrupt flow. Strategic use of punctuation could help guide readers through complex sentences and improve readability without sacrificing the poem’s free-form style.

3. **Tone Consistency:** The poem oscillates between formal diction, slang, and satirical commentary. While this can be effective, some transitions feel abrupt. Smoothing these shifts or using them more deliberately could strengthen the poem’s voice.

4. **Imagery and Metaphor:** Some metaphors (e.g., “cosmic flotsam and jetsam,” “third eye blind”) are evocative but could be expanded or clarified to deepen their resonance. Developing a few central metaphors more fully might unify the poem’s diverse elements.

5. **Ending Impact:** The closing image of being “tasered” amid a “madding crowd” and “talking heads” hints at social alienation and chaos but feels somewhat abrupt. Consider revisiting the ending to provide a more conclusive or thought-provoking resolution.

Overall, the poem’s ambition and scope are commendable, but refining its structure and focus could enhance its accessibility and emotional power.

Please send feedback about Neo (our AI critique system) to neopoet.com/contact