Welcome, friends and writers. The world around us is in turmoil, and has never needed more the medicine of the artist's eye. As long as it is possible, I will host this meme on the last Friday of every month, an opportunity to both attempt the feat of a kick-ass weekend and
to share a poem, piece of prose-poetry or flash fiction on any subject; in fact, whatever. Vent, wail, prognosticate or simply let your muse run loose, so long as it's in the form of 55 words, no more, no less.
If you are among those attempting a poem a day in April, let me know in the comments if you would like to see the 55 up every Friday in April, and I will oblige.
The prompt will be live from Friday at 12:00 AM til Sunday at 4:00 PM.
The prompt will be live from Friday at 12:00 AM til Sunday at 4:00 PM.
~*~
My 55:
Missed Universe
Hell runs a mean pageant,
contestants centerfolded.
Breaths bubbled forward
Breaths bubbled forward
in hope without reason
multiply oblivion.
Gathering masses
parade the ramp
sucking in air from each other's
sucking in air from each other's
taint; rapture revolves
in the devil-red tent.
May their last
wheeze please Him
in His burning sty
in His burning sty
where the rich always live
and the poor always die.
March 2020
Images: The Lantern Bearers, Maxfield Parrish Public Domain
Manipulated photo of Miss Universe winners via internet. Fair Use.
"Sucking in air from each other's taint!"
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful line that places the gathering masses right where they are! Kicked ass again Joy!
http://themanwhowalksalonewalksfaster.blogspot.com/2020/03/constant-repeat.html
Thanks, Mark. You as well. Appreciate you being here, and helping me remember Galen. Stay as safe as you can in the wilds up there.
DeleteThe ass end of the end times would make a sane person faint--yes, that's the taint (!) here in this demon banquet of gold fools. The braid here of silver and shit is both lavish and slavish in accordance with the law of awful fates (bad in the beginning, baaad in the middle, baaaaaaad in the end). Stanzas 3-4 were truly breathtaking (who cut the sleaze?). It would be one thing if wealth's obscenity could be parked and filed with Lions, Tigers and Bears Oh My but unnatural disorders of the gilt libido have an obscenely long half-life. We'll be watching reruns of Him forever. Archly set and put and twirled like razor cotton. Amen ... Brendan
ReplyDeleteMy 55 fray - https://blueoran.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/lear-in-his-bath/
Thanks for the generous reading, B. I hate to post only rants, but we live in those kind of times. Each day brings a new revelation of how little we are able to learn from the vast education left us by the past. We are out and about, chomping popcorn, joyriding in the Dark Ages' new convertible. :(
Delete"I take no responsibility!" says the Tangerine Looking MF. (Unless there is false credit to be gobbled up.) The man is a nightmare all on his own, without adding plague. Good grief.
ReplyDeleteYes, please do every Friday in April! !!!
Mine can be unearthed here:
https://fireblossom-wordgarden.blogspot.com/2020/03/cirque-du-folle.html
For you, BFF, I am happy to. Thanks for enabling the kickassness of this meme with your talent.
DeleteThere is no excusing him, yet so many will. Thanks for sharing this piece of your mind. Your words always bring light (and fire). Here's my contribution. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeletehttp://excursionsanddiversions-sking.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Steve. And thanks for the elegant 55.
DeleteDelighted to be here Joy! Thank you for doing this, and yes weekly in April sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteGreed is an ugly thing, and the greedy in power is even uglier! Your words are powerful here Joy leading us to a closing that sums it up so very true.
Her is mine:
https://dancingwithelephants2.blogspot.com/2020/03/all-ghosts-under-my-bed.html
Thanks so much for participating, Carrie. It's great to see you here.
Deletehttps://othermary.wordpress.com/2020/03/27/hope-55/
ReplyDeleteI have to fly (getting my broom out now), but I'll be back and read yours and the others. Thank you sooo much for doing this!
Mary, your word press blog is offended by me--you will likely find this comment in your spam folder:
Delete"This really chilled me Mary--that last stanza is one stark and telling reveal. Hope is a twisty thing indeed, and has been manipulated to serve a lot of less than hopeful purposes. I love the spring-off point of the Dickinson lines, and the evolution of change that leads up that ending, as well. Thanks for tossing a 55 into the bottom of Pandora's box, and have a kickass time on your broom. ;)"
I just had to laugh about the broom cos I am wearing a SALEM BROOM FACTORY tee shirt!
DeleteHahaha -that's where my broom was made! Whadda ya know!
Delete'rapture revolves in the devil-red tent' has to be one of the most visually and emotionally impactful lines ever. A FB friend shared a few clips of pastors who rant and rave and declare the virus happened because we sinned, it is our punishment and when we stop sinning it will disappear. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely, Helen. I have heard some analysts describe the current state of fringe Evangelical Christianity as a suicide cult. Insane.
Delete"rapture revolves in the devil-red tent" Oh that is powerful truth. Oh, and I so love "sucking in air from each other's taint" (I shouldn't have laughed, but I did.) I was once a Southern Baptist...devil and hell were the bread and butter of controlling sheep. I can't believe the insanity that heads our government. The devil wears orange.
ReplyDeleteHere is my contribution:
https://thesoundofink.blogspot.com/2020/03/inside-my-shell.html
My only churching was also Baptist, moved up North, and it was not as hell fiery, but just as reliant on all the usual manipulation. Believe it or not, I was given that word 'taint' by divine intervention of the muse, and used it, even knowing the double entendre might be ...distracting--;) it seemed appropriate. Yours was just a complete pleasure to read, even as it struck its solemn knell of plague-time.
DeleteThose closing lines - the orange man is likely happy to have so many of the poor die off....more of the pie for himself. What a nightmare of a man.
ReplyDeleteBoom! This is sharp and on point! Love. It. You leave no pig unskewered. Btw, a writing friend of my now refers to Don the Con as Agent Orange. I thought you might appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteHa! Definitely!
DeleteWow, Joy. That first line got me, followed by the rest. I'm just... unable to express myself and using a lot of ellipses. XD
ReplyDeleteI wrote a 55, thank you so much for continuing to offer space to do so. I shut off comments on my blog because there's hardly any traffic or conversation there and it depresses me to be reminded. So please feel free to read and enjoy without obligation. xoxo
http://www.runawaysentence.com/2020/03/the-virus-is-clock.html
Glad you posted this on FB Marian so I could let you know how much it spoke to me. Thanks for playing, and for being here.
DeleteHi Marian. I wasn't able to comment on site.
Deletethe final verse ... just outstanding. sorry I didn't get round to one in time... ~
ReplyDeleteNever a problem, M. Shay wants a 55 every week for poetry mknth, so there will be a couple of extras this month if you are in the mood. Thinking of you and hoping it's all mostly bearable.
Delete