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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Off the Deep End




There goes Wild Woman,
off the deep end again,
muttering to herself,
slapping herself upside the head,
clucking at the imperturbable sky,
hands to brow, distressed,
moaning "why, oh why, oh why, 
dear God, oh why?"

Another Mountie gunned down,
another dog chained outdoors at 36 below,
his beseeching face, no rescue at hand,
so much injustice -
so painful, knowing what I know.

They're shooting wolves from helicopters
to "save the caribou", who are dying 
through loss of habitat
because of us. 
The vicious cycle goes on and on,
because it always has been thus:
raping and pillaging, greed and power,
smug rationalizing, politics-speak,
a civilization in denial
while the world implodes,
hour by hour.

Wild Woman's brain goes weak
at the knees
and that's before we even talk about
the bees.
There are solutions,
that the powers that be 
refuse to seek.
The situation need not
be so impossibly bleak.
How hang onto hope,
when the  planet itself
is at the end of its rope?
The coasts will one day soon 
be washed away,
but no one acts because 
it's not happening today.

After the tears, there is nothing 
left to do
but find something to cackle about 
- or, even better, two.


for Susan's prompt at Mid Week Motif: the place humor has in my life. It is what saves me, kids.I resonate with one of the quotes accompanying this prompt: "If we couldnt laugh, we'd all go insane" by Robert Frost.

Truly, I am not as desperate as this poem indicates - my sense of humor does keep me afloat - sometimes just barely!



23 comments:

  1. Amen. Smiling through my tears.

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  2. The nature of the circle of life.

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  3. "but find something to cackle about
    - or, even better, two" ...that is our only respite... :-(

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  4. Hey, there is always something to smile or cackle about ~ At least this winter is not as bad as last year, ha ~ Have a good day Sherry ~

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  5. You can always laugh as you make a buck and destroy the world. They will always say "not in my lifetime, leave for the kids to solve".

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  6. Yes, laugh saves, love the 'deep end' use in your poem. x

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  7. i cackle when i hold my wife and my canine children. i cackle when i eat the mexican rice and frijoles i made with tortillas. i cackle when i get off my recumbent bike and my artificial hips are still in tack. i cackle when i read inspiring and lovely creations from sensitive co-writers reminding me that there are still some that might influence others through their words

    please all within the reach of ours words must call out, yell, scream at our representatives to pay attention to the health of this soon not to be blue-green orb that is our home.

    gracias mi amiga for sharing your heart beat with mine

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  8. Laughter and humour is essential for survival as you say. Keep cackling Sherry !

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  9. Cheer Up...here comes 'Nasruddin on the donkey'...and following him is 'poetic oceans'...lets see where our raft and craft takes us....

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  10. so much injustice indeed...and more than enough to send one off the deep end...and wondering at the state of our world...and what is up with some people...

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  11. Hear, hear Sherry. I guess that was why at first I struggled to write a poem. At every corner there is another affront of common decency. I saw two lovely mourning doves today by my neighbor's empty birdfeeder. Im going out to buy one and put food in it - poor dears.

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  12. Laughing at the stupidity of authority is a good means of survival...'their' decisions rarely make sense

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  13. We all need to make us laugh ... the world in itself is a dark place now.

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  14. Well, needless to say, I am in complete agreement. Sarah Palin is in one of the helicopters, no doubt. She loves cheating. As for obsessing about that state of the world, you will have a laugh at the pathetic insomnia I had last night, as viewed on my blog art. I have to laugh at this stuff, no matter what, or the Real World and the Powers That Be Too Rich would have me on an ice floe... are there any left? Love, Amy

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    Replies
    1. Amy, it would not even accept your url when I typed it in. Wordpress seems to have difficulties with blogger......thanks for sending me your comment, kiddo.

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  15. This is great, Sherry. Oh, how I know how you feel!
    Luv, K

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  16. Wonderful poem, so powerful. The ending definitely fits the view so many have.

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  17. make them laugh, make them cry... both so healing... so glad you can end on a happy note.

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  18. It is all pretty terrible, I think. We don't see the worst of it, honestly, in terms of environmental degradation--but good for you for writing of it. k .

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  19. I do think we have to find something to laugh about in this world. I like your perspective.

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  20. heck, us insane folk laugh even more.... ~

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