and soar off into outer space
way up with the stars and planets
far from this slowly dying place
until — let’s take a leisure drive
stick our heads out the windows
look at those beautiful butterflies
do they know which way the wind blows
we are rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
not certain where we’re goin’
I lost my pearly guitar pic
it’s been missin’ now for hours
I found my favorite baseball mitt
in a field full of wild flowers
acres of virgin rain forest
more than 200,000 everyday
what d’fuck is it we’re thinkin’
cutting those vital trees away
we keep rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
no idea where we’re goin’
let’s put on a sunny face
let’s not appear that we are dour
Thalia — help us laugh off our guilt
while we boogie down in the shower
630,000 machine guns
are privately owned in the USA
that is a lotta gaw-damned firepower
on the loose here everyday
ya’bet’cha — ya’bet’cha
oh hell yes — ya’bet’cha
maybe just to clear my head
I’ll go ’n climb that water tower
wow — I can see a lot from here
like those school kids by the flowers
229 school shootings
337 victims have sadly died
when you send your children off to schoolg
no guarantee they’ll come back alive
the horror’s rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
the solution is not known
hey — where’s that sunny funny face
maybe if we all join in a song
perhaps sing a song of make-believe
Euterpe — please play as we sing along
our planet’s becoming a garbage dump
ton n’a half of trash tossed away
by every man woman and child
each year in the US of A
ya’bet’cha — ya’bet’cha
oh hell yes — ya’bet’cha
oh sure — the world has begun to flood
the part that’s not — is burning
but hell — there ain’t no climate change
just ignore all that we’re learning
let’s just pretend that all is well
these g’damned masks are irritating
these stupid lockdowns are real hell
but global plague just keeps mutating
Melpoméne please — this is hard to take
like everybody’s gone insane
sometimes I’d like to fly away
just escape all of this pain
oh shit — my hair is all messed up
guess it’s time to go back home
but time has proven to be relative
many friends and relatives are gone
close that open window please
my apathy’s blowin’ away
when interplanetary trips begin
Urania — launch me on that day
soon I will be flown flown flown
into outer space I’m goin’
Mars is my new home
g’bye — so long
OLÉ!
*
rob kistner © 2021
Poetry at: dVerse
Oh, blessed absenteeism. Devoutly to be wished (if we ain’t gonna – or can’t- fix things).
Hard to decipher Ron, if we are taking our situation seriously?
You “pumped me up”, brother. You exploded, imploded, and danced all over this prompt, nodding to a half dozen muses (I jumped all 12). You made me laugh, tap my toes, snap my fingers, warble, chant and wail. Christ, you sunk the hook in early, and dragged us behind the boat, surfacing to hear your hardy laughter, while tears stream down your face. This piece has ten layers, all overlapping, all shouting at once. And then at close you let us drift off in silence, our minds blown, our hearts engaged. It is a beautiful mind-fuck and I thank you for the ride.
You are welcome Glenn, I am very pleased this grabbed you brother.
Ball of confusion, that’s what thw world is today. And yet, that mitt in the wildflowers.
Thought we needed a nod to nostalgia Shay…:)
Well that was a sing song muse lost in today’s confusing world filled with apathy and violence. Call on the muses – we need to fly away.
Yes we do, but we can’t.
Rob, this is so vivid and remarkable as you describe the disturbing mindset of today. I feel like I got a prelude of this from your reply yesterday on Ingrid’s poem. The world is disappointing, people more so.
It’s like we brush off each death with apathy, that relative distance that it will never hit us until it has. There’s a common thread here and it’s the selfishness of humanity and our disregard for what is around us. We are our own demise at this rate. What really gets me are the people who just think the pandemic is all said and done now. :/ Like no, you should still wear your mask and practice social distancing. We’re not singing Kumbaya when we don’t know much about the Delta variant yet.
Sorry for the ramble, just wanted to say I share similar thoughts. Beautifully written and evocative. It’s sad how the horrors of the world fail to surprise me, yet they anger me in different ways.
I also really adored this stanza:
“Melpomene please — it’s hard to take
like everybody’s gone insane
sometimes I’d like to fly away
just leave behind all of this pain”
My hat is off to you. You describe my sentiments exactly.
Lucy, I am so pleased this resonated for you. The world is at such a critical point, certainly close to the tipping point, hopefully not beyond — but I am unclear what I believe in that regard. If we are not beyond the tipping point, we are certainly and stupidly racing in that careless and mortally dangerous direction.
You have laid it all out there for us… the good the bad and the ugly! And still the flowers grow and the butterflies dance on the flowers and weeds fill the cracks just like politicians.! Well done.
Thank you Dwight, very much! I am pleased this resonated for you… 🙂
I love this, Rob – you had me at the title, as I love the song too! Perfect timing, as Bezos blasted off yesterday: did he make it back? I didn’t check. Planning his getaway. I love how you brought the Muses in to sing along with you, and highlight what a mess we’re in, in this rockin’, rollin’ poetic ride!
Thank you Ingrid, I am pleased and honored that you liked this… 🙂
Rob, I assume you intended this amazing piece as a song? It feels that way to me… somehow reminds of me American Pie…
Yours,
David
Yes David, I was thinking of it as possible lyrics. For a singer competent with phrasing, it would overlay nicely to the music bed of “Nothing But Flowers” by the Talking Heads. It’s like an apocalyptic “American Pie”… 🙂
Wow, Rob. What a spectacular commentary on the world we live in today. “the horror’s rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
the solution is not known” — every word was so creative and yet so real in imagery and tone. Fantastic. Read like a song.
Thank you very much! I was thinking of it as possible lyrics. For a singer competent with phrasing, it would overlay nicely to the music bed of “Nothing But Flowers” by the Talking Heads.
Wow, Rob. This is unrelenting and I mean that in the best possible way. Nature is offering a wakeup call to all of those burrowing their heads in the sand. It’s unfortunate that we needed it. Excellent poem.
Thank you Sascha. I worry that people are turning their back on this currently developing global tragedy, because to embrace the reality of it, is just too terrifying to deal with. Easier to accept by remaining in denial with apathetic shrugs, and occasional criticism. When you accept and admit the problem, you might have to take responsibility — and that means becoming actively involved in helping create a solution. Too much for too many people — sadly! 🙁
In a wild field full of flowers …. this is one wild ride, Rob. One wild ride!
And unfortunately Helen, it is the ride we are all taking — like it or not.
Rob, I echo Glenn on this and agree with you: “fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars, let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.”
🙂 This coming Spring might prove easier on Mars. I think the “Delta” shit is definitely going to hit the fan this Fall, as school kids and adults in general, begin agin crowding together. This pandemic is far, far from over — our frustrated wishing it was, simply is not going to make it so. In fact, the “Delta monster-strain” coming is far fiercer and deadlier than simple COVID 19. People in a crowd mentality, are stupid.
You described the world’s well here! Yes, a very splintered place.. Well done! Enjoy Mars. I ain’t goin’????
I hear ya Mary. Soon there will be life up on Mars. Not sure how long that will be true down here!? 😉
Wow, that’s brilliant! I think you blew my apathy away. 🙂
That’s great Kate! 🙂
What a trip you took us on Rob! Sometimes when we take a moment and step back to observe ourselves and others, it makes most thing we do seem so ridiculous and trite. We concentrate on the unnecessary and ignore the important issues. Our heads buried in the sand. I loved this poem ??
🙂
What a trip you took us on Rob! Sometimes when we take a moment and step back to observe ourselves and others, it makes most thing we do seem so ridiculous and trite. We concentrate on the unnecessary and ignore the important issues. Our heads buried in the sand. I loved this poem ??
Thank you Christine… 🙂
You made me laugh and cry at the same time.
Refrain lines move this like an out-of-control
locomotive. Excellent!
Glad this touched you Sara! It is a runaway train, and it may run over all of us!?