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Yours truly dwells within an alien-nation,

where the grateful dead undergo cremation
corpse paid for courtesy the government,
but crematoriums that house cremator
of late popular and dime a dozen
as an eco-friendly solution
versus a lifeless body once electric
enclosed within a casket,
which gets buried
in the hallowed ground,
where grave markers hint
that greensward constituting a cemetery
requires maintenance costs,
and said consecrated ground
unavailable for other purposes,
aside from the costs materials
used to manufacture the coffin.

I will not be buried in the ground,
whereby the government,
a doctor, medical examiner,
or coroner must fill out a medical certificate
regarding cause of death
pays heed over my dead body
to yours truly (me),
who ofttimes feels like an extraterrestrial
born in the wrong century and country,
prompting me to expostulate “I don’t belong here”
nor any place for that matter.

Herewith eunuch - horn trumpets
and warns others to beware strumpets
beguiling celibate men (with dormant libido)
to be on the lookout
courtesy vestal virgins blowing their flumpets
plying to proffer hallucinogenic
laced appetite for consumption crumpets.

While stupefied after nibbling tasty morsel
redolent of classic raw bits and powder milk biscuits
tastefully advertised on The Prairie Home Companion,
who created and hosted courtesy Garrison Keillor.

Ingenious radio program gifting avid listeners
videlicet live radio variety show
A Prairie Home Companion starting in 1974
after covering the Grand Ole Opry
for The New Yorker magazine.

Anyway, I genuinely apologize
letting tangential threads,
(albeit the above brainchild
vis a vis Garrison Keillor)
getting me off figurative track
about being duped
into suffering castration
(act of surgically
removing the testicles - ouch)!

While heavily sedated
purportedly in preparation
regarding necessary treatments
linkedin to preliminary procedures
prior to dental implants
such as bone grafting
or tooth extractions,
and a focus on excellent oral hygiene
to prevent infection
post dental implants
anesthesia found the so called "patient"
subsequently spellbound,
when under the aegis
of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon,
(the reputable Asian Doctor Gum Gang),
and assisted by the daughters
of the sea god Phorcys
or of the river god Achelous
by one of the Muses Sirens
(enchanting but dangerous allure,
a seductive temptress
whose beauty and charm
are irresistible but also perilous),
I come to from a vivid dream
and just before a scalpel
and other standard surgical instruments
positioned just over male genitals
ready to make the first cut,
I summon forth cojones,
and shake off the effects of an awful dream!

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

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neopoet

neopoet

1 week 3 days ago

Neopoet AI [2025-04]

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

This poem presents a complex interplay of themes—mortality, alienation, bodily autonomy, and cultural references—woven through dense, often intricate language. The opening stanzas meditate on death rituals and the practical, economic, and ecological considerations surrounding cremation and burial. This grounding in the physicality of death contrasts with the speaker’s sense of existential dislocation, expressed through the metaphor of being an “extraterrestrial” and the repeated assertion of not belonging.

The poem’s narrative then shifts into a surreal, almost mythological register with the introduction of eunuchs, vestal virgins, and sirens, blending historical, mythic, and personal imagery. This section is rich in allusion but can feel somewhat opaque, as the connections between these figures and the speaker’s experience of castration and medical intervention are not always explicit. The invocation of “horn trumpets,” “flumpets,” and “crumpets” introduces a playful, if cryptic, sound pattern that juxtaposes with the gravity of the subject matter, though the effect may risk alienating readers unfamiliar with these references or the poem’s internal logic.

The latter part of the poem grounds itself again in a contemporary medical context, describing dental procedures and anesthesia, culminating in a vivid dream sequence that allegorizes the speaker’s fear and resistance to castration. The blending of mythic imagery with the clinical setting is evocative but could benefit from clearer transitions to help readers navigate the shifts in tone and register.

Some lines are densely packed with uncommon vocabulary and complex syntax (e.g., “videlicet,” “vis a vis,” “aegis”), which may impede accessibility and emotional resonance. Consider balancing erudition with clarity to enhance the poem’s impact. Additionally, the poem’s length and meandering structure might be tightened to maintain focus and strengthen thematic coherence.

Overall, the poem’s ambition and layered references are notable, but greater clarity in narrative progression and more deliberate pacing could help the reader engage more fully with the speaker’s profound meditations on identity, mortality, and bodily integrity.

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