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"Ew" (often spelled eww or ewww)...

where one immediately
linkedin to foul odors
yes, most certainly
the rotten egg posted recently,
or bad egg idiom used
to describe a person
who reeks of dishonesty,
unreliability, untrustworthy,
or behaves in a reprehensible way,
which brother or sister phrase
closely linkedin to "I can smell a rat"
another colloquialism that means
you suspect that something went wrong,
an intuitive palpable
sixth sense dishonesty, or untrustworthy
characterizes a situation implying
that you sense deceit,
foul play, or a hidden agenda,
often without having concrete proof
(easily confused with essence of vomit)
unmistakable characteristic
pungent smell of a rotten egg
primarily caused
by the production
of hydrogen sulfide
(hydrogen sulfide expressed
with upper case H,
followed by subscript 2
and followed by upper case S) gas
cue lynyrd skynyrd lyrics
Ooh, that smell
Can't you smell that smell?
Ooh, that smell
The smell of death surrounds you,
which also applies
to unsavory individuals
discounting the grateful dead
brutally and nastily
assaulting the nasal passages,
detected in the olfactory epithelium,
a small, specialized tissue
located at the very top of the nasal cavity
like an intense, sharp sulfur smell
herewith I repeat myself again
(similar to rotten eggs or sewage)
due to hydrogen sulfide gas
produced by bacteria as they decompose,
the odor often described
as pungent, sour, or truly "rank,"
and unmistakable, often noticeable
immediately upon cracking the shell
of this, that or another egghead
mentioned in a previous poem,
yolk dilemma more'n fifty years ago
still indicates the verbalization
and/or written expression of revulsion
to anything objectionable
to sight, smell or sound
in this case reference
made towards Moyer's dumping ground
accepted municipal waste,
sewage, and a variety
of solid and liquid hazardous wastes
(e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
products containing dioxin,
paint solvents, and similar material),
both of which
I can still discern,
no matter the 65-acre Moyer's Landfill site
located in Lower Providence Township
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
closed by the EPA in 1981,
and one of the first
"Superfund" sites added
to the National Priorities List,
which existence still a visual revulsion
no longer functions as a landfill
added to the Superfund Program
National Priorities List (NPL)
on September 8, 1983
and visible from the bedroom I used
as sleeping quarters
housed at 324 Level Road
before becoming dime a dozen penniless
older adult offspring,
who overstayed his welcome
(when Harris tweed mat pulled
from underneath his little feet)
when living with his parents
at the old mansion
(once an estate
named "Glen Elm") 324 Level Road
Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19473
(I take a bit of poetic license here
to exaggerate so as
to garnish the reader's' attention)
the Leipers' summer estate in the woods,
he a ship captain,
and huntsmen for small creatures
and young lassies,
young enough to be his daughter
she the scion of rich
socialites from Philadelphia
entertained New England
men and women of high society
(such as successors of the Mayflower,
and made sure to interject that fact
anytime the opportunity arose
probably similar to the
hoity toity of the MainLine.

Now my thoughts
will marinate and steep
at about fifteen minutes
before ten o'clock post meridiem
on this April twenty first
two thousand and twenty one
while I relinquish access
of our macbook pro so the missus
can binges on intellectual fare
such as Jerry Springer's Baggage,
Hoarders Buried Alive,
and Steve Wilkos for starters.

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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Comments

neopoet

neopoet

2 days 5 hours ago

Neopoet AI [2025-04]

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

This poem presents a sprawling, associative meditation on the metaphorical and literal implications of foul smells, particularly the odor of rotten eggs, weaving together idiomatic expressions, chemical explanations, personal history, and cultural references. The ambition to intertwine sensory experience, language, and memory is clear, but the execution could benefit from greater structural focus and clarity.

Strengths: - The poem’s use of idioms like "rotten egg" and "I can smell a rat" effectively anchors the reader in familiar linguistic territory while expanding into scientific and personal domains. - The inclusion of chemical details (hydrogen sulfide, PCBs) adds an unexpected layer of specificity, grounding the metaphor in concrete reality. - The personal narrative about the Moyer’s Landfill and the family estate introduces a poignant sense of place and history, enriching the poem’s thematic scope.

Areas for improvement: 1. **Organization and Flow:** The poem reads as a stream of consciousness with abrupt shifts between topics (idioms, chemistry, personal anecdote, TV shows). Introducing clearer transitions or dividing the poem into sections could help the reader navigate the complex material more easily.

2. **Line Breaks and Punctuation:** The current formatting—with many short lines and minimal punctuation—sometimes obscures meaning and rhythm. Strategic use of punctuation and varied line lengths could enhance readability and emphasize key ideas.

3. **Tone Consistency:** The poem oscillates between formal, scientific language and colloquial, conversational tone (e.g., "the missus can binges on intellectual fare"). Clarifying the intended tone or blending these registers more smoothly would strengthen the poem’s voice.

4. **Imagery and Metaphor:** While the poem references sensory experiences, the imagery could be more vivid and evocative. For example, expanding on the emotional or psychological impact of the "smell of death" or the landfill’s presence would deepen the reader’s engagement.

5. **Conciseness:** Some passages feel overly detailed or tangential (e.g., the detailed address and socialite references). Trimming or integrating these details more purposefully could maintain momentum and focus.

Overall, the poem’s conceptual ambition is notable, but refining its structure, tone, and imagery would enhance its impact and accessibility.

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