21 November 2015

Poem


Black Friday

Not that unholy scrum
Heaving through the doors
Grabbing bargains
From department stores
Not that brutish
Consumer greed
Biting the hand
From which they feed
No not that
But the
Rat-tat-tat-tat of gunfire
On the Boulevard Voltaire
A noxious smell of butchery
Poisoning the air
"Those who can make you believe absurdities 
can make you commit atrocities."
That's what he wrote,
Voltaire I mean,
Déjà vu
- Already seen.
Checking their guns
With a ha-ha-ha-ha
Ugly young men in a rental car.

Not the slashing of prices
In Paris - Texas or Maine
But the noise of lovers
Moaning with pain
As tea candles flare 
In November's  fragile rain.

And though nothing
Could ever be the same
Concealed
In this heart of darkness
Still burns
A little
Flame.

18 comments:

  1. Terrific. A poignant reminder of what's important and what's not.

    (For the record, as an American, I'm embarrassed that we have apparently inflicted Black Friday upon the world.)

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    Replies
    1. Me too, Steve.

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    2. Thank you Steve and Jennifer too. I don't blame you two personally for spawning the commercial "Black Friday"

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  2. Ludwigsburg has (of course) a French twin town, Montbéliard. Town Hall and the palace are lit up at night in the colours of the Tricolore. This will, so I've read in the paper, stay in place until Sunday.
    Next week Christmas Market starts here and I know some people are worried about going there, with so many people gathering and offering easy targets. But I am sure in the end there will be just as many visitors to the market as every year. And I'll be one of them.

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    Replies
    1. To placate the Islamic extremists perhaps there should also be a Muslim Market but I have no idea what the traders would sell.

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  3. I like this poem.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks...I wonder what rhymes with Jennifer? "Capital expenditure"?

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  4. My wish for the world is that sometime soon we shall know peace, Peace! I know not all wishes come true, but.....

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    Replies
    1. Yes. It is a very big "but" isn't it Mama Thyme....

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  5. A wonderful piece indeed, well done. Greetings!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for calling by and leaving an encouraging comment Blogoratti.

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  6. Beautiful poem Yorkie. Here in Australia we don't have Black Friday thankfully. However, even more ridiculous are the Boxing Day Sales. I am disgusted by these sales the day after Xmas Day!!!! People spend a fortune on presents and the day after Xmas people buying more. I have never been to any sales and I think these sales are appalling. Consumerism gone mad.

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    Replies
    1. People will sometimes behave like sheep but perhaps like you Leishy I am one of those uncooperative sheep who sneaks off along a gully beyond the shepherd's reach.

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  7. A Black Friday it certainly was....and our hearts remain heavy...

    You've expressed the emotions well.... Yorkie....

    How wonderful it would be if such sadness...such sorrow - such hate and envy - such cowardice - all of the aforementioned - were wiped once and for all from this world of ours...but, unfortunately, this never will be...not as long as humans fight over whose religious beliefs/fantasies are the right ones. They are all so sure that they are right...and they are all so wrong.

    Humans will never wake up to themselves.

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  8. Great verse.

    And about time too,it's been a long time since you posted poetry. Add that to the winter blog activities.

    And if you are concerned there is no please to be seen anywhere, it is an order not a request.

    Ms Soup - now ducking for cover under the table.

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    Replies
    1. Chasing her under the table with a cheer and a whoop
      Mr Pudding hurls a saucepan of cream of asparagus at the quivering Ms Soup.

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  9. I have been reading your blog (found you via Going Gently) for some weeks now and thoroughly enjoying your writing, your wonderful photos and point of view. Your beautiful and apt verse has moved me to come out of the undergrowth to comment.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for dropping by and lifting your veil Andrea.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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