2004

alfred e neuman is president, wow

i always loved "mad" magazine as a

child but do not find it remotely

amusing that the gap toothed idiotic

face which stares from the satiric

magazine would in decades be staring

back at me from CNN, running the country.

i wonder if they know that when they

stepped in the voting booth and pumped

their fear driven bile with a pull of a

lever that they might as well have been firing

a gun into a poor young man who

thought he was going home

or that they left with the american

dream caked on the soles of their shoes.

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Comments

eric ashford

18 years 2 months ago

This leaves me cold. Poetry

This leaves me cold. Poetry that is diatribe and rant can work but you have to have some original things to say in a very intelligent way or it just falls into the category of juvanile angst and junk. Partisan party-political opinion always makes unconvincing poetry for it cannot resist telling the reader its own narrow perspective. The poetry inevitably gets lost in the political persuasion. All the best eric

Quillsvein1

18 years 2 months ago

i'd

agree with you on most political poetry, but not when it comes to this guy. poetry is not meant to serve politics, politicians, yes; it is meant to work against them, particularly when they are disgusting monsters like the guy i'm describing. if it wasn't such a dire situation we have here in the U.S., i'd agree. but it is. in any case, thank you for the advice! best, john

RSScheerer

18 years 2 months ago

2004

Won't get into the political aspects of this (never argue politics or religion, isn't that right?), but will instead critique mechanics. In my opinion, the first seven lines are not as strong as the rest of the piece. By the eigth line, you have started to gain momentum. Actually, I believe those final eight lines would stand alone as quite a definitive poem due to the fact that you have really addressed who you see as the responsible party ... if that makes sense. ~ Ronda

asiajy

18 years 2 months ago

refraining

Refraining from the political views. I don't dive into politics whenever possible. (even if I agree) but the poem starts off weak and gets stronger as it goes. Maybe fix 'em or leave 'em out?