Eternal Rivals
Alas, these encounters never end well...
About this newsletter: It’s devoted to short fiction, with occasional lurches into satire, social commentary, and other nonsense.
This post was inspired by a poetry prompt: “Feelings.” That was like waving a red flag in front of a sensitive guy like me. 😅
I had a flashback to three guys who were pretty well-known when I was a kid. They were violent— always attacking each other. I tried to tap into their turbulent interior lives. I think I succeeded.
My poem (below) was published in a two-part issue of Planet Ral. You can read all the entries here and here.
P.S. For those who might not know: a gathering of crows is called a murder.
Once I stood firm, invincible and resolute
I walked in the sun and feared no one
I was filled with hopes and dreams, but you have smothered them
You have blotted out my life, and I am seen no more
You have cut me, and I bleed
My life runs out and pools upon the ground
You laugh as I die, and your cruelty rings in my ears
Then all sensation dims, and I am lost to utter darkness
Yesterday I gleamed and flashed with youthful confidence
I cut through life with joy, and carved a righteous path
But you have smashed me, my jaws are shattered and broken
I lie here under your obscene weight, gasping out my last breath
And so it goes
On and on
Rock, paper, scissors
Trapped in an endless cycle
Of victimhood and self-obsession
About Mark Armstrong: Mark’s an illustrator specializing in humor, branding, and content marketing. He writes about marketing and visual communication. He also writes humor, short fiction, and the occasional reflection.
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Very good!
That's a hell of poem, Mark. This morning I was laying in bed, reading Walt Whitman and this felt so much the same. Well done!