eyes wider than wide
watch the dragons attack
chest swells when the hero
fells the angry beast
double-barreled shoulders
face split by white teeth
he is strong for an hour
vitamin-rich and toy deprived
and far away, in a long ago
he’s seen the ending
ten times or more and
everything is flat, clean,
no blood and no bones
each episode closed by
the same happy lullaby
the interstitial silences
are few, and brief, still
he listens for wood creaking
under big angry feet,
smells whiskey and weed,
waits quietly, feigns sleep
he squints, watches
the plug pulled from the wall
with an animal grunt and
the colorful universe
falls dark, one last
pinpoint of light blinks
before dying
left alone on the couch
he looks at the box, made
of wood, made of glass,
full of light, and
stories with dogs
that talk, and fights
where good always
vanquishes evil
as the tailwinds
of fear push his
fluttering heart
he stares at the screen
and longs for its sleep,
deep, black and calm
Even off, he says
with affection,
“Goodnight to the box
of everything I’m not.”
This is my entry for this week’s Poetics challenge at the dVerse Poets Pub. Topic: Mass Media
http://dversepoets.com/2013/01/26/poetics-reaching-the-masses/
Wether or not you’ve enjoyed mine, click through the link above and read others. You will find an amazing group of talented poets with a wide range of styles.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Some of you know I write often about child abuse, PTSD and survival. This particular poem is not a confessional memoir. It’s about a boy I knew, years ago. If you’re looking to make a difference in such a child’s life, I personally endorse this volunteer program.
http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301295/k.BE9A/Home.htm
for more information about the real He-Man, go here: http://www.madman.co.nz/series/home/2621/heman-and-the-masters-of-the-universe
January 27th, 2013 at 7:27 am
oh this is moving…i used to flee into book fantasy worlds when i was a kid.. books, films, games can give a sense of security in difficult times when those that should give security don’t for whatever reason
January 27th, 2013 at 9:52 am
oh dang…the box of everything i am not…so hard…but the boy finds hope in the stories he sees perhaps…scraps of a future far different from his reality…my escape as a child was books, so on some level i understand this deeply…
January 27th, 2013 at 5:19 pm
Heck – that box can be so cruel, showing us glimpses of lives we can’t ever have. This is a moving piece.