Paper City

 'I think we are in rats' alley  Where the dead men lost their bones.'

Through rat alleys and coal streets,

in the blackened dawn and hot breeze,

hand-in hand we strolled.

A strange enough land to tell, where,

the grown-ups had forgotten everything.

And the children just got old...

Written word was your memory there,

experience on leaflets and wood shavings was sold.

Madness was not rewarded,

Intelligence hardly acknowledged.

Love was a concept, much too profound,

to be felt by the common folk.

Gossip about it hung like the

smell of dead fish on every nook.

         Telescopes were put handy to keep

      accounts of family and friends.

         Opera glasses were searched for, to peep

      out of keyholes and door ends.

         Down every lane, there was grief.

      Fear walked down every bend.

         None had any courage to keep;

      spines were bought on rent.

The summers there were a misery, 

And even the winters were hardly cold.

Autumn rains had turned acidic.

And spring berries bitter as a gourd.

     Tea talks swirled smells of sawdust,

     distilled water and roses of cardboard.

     Morning toasts were moist with smog,

     apricot jams were hard as an ice fjord.

At the sunset hour,

paper boats sailed down paper seas,

And paper marigolds swayed in bushes,

that were visited by paper bees

Books and poetry had no magic left.

Bedtime tales did not wash away fears...

No sword would have them killed.

Darkened under some heavy magic spell...

Trapped in a black potion jar...

The whole country slept under a nightmare quilt...

Author's Note

The description is from T.S.Eliot's famous poem, "The Wasteland", from which the phrase in the 1st line is taken.
Sorry if I haven't reviewed back...I was inactive for a long time there...

Reviews

[An owl on the moon]

It seems you've written the depth of novel in your poetic sighs. There are vast empty spaces, the vagrancy of souls wandering the streets, seasons of struggling, surviving, aching in the wondering. I find myself at the end, in this sleeping country so void of life, wishing a poet like you might wander there and breathe life into them once more.

[Moonie]

Hey! I am so very sorry to be this late to reply...but i wasn't active on this site for a month because of some issues. I agree with you...only a poet or an artist who understands the importance of the gift of life can breathe some soul into this dull country...

[An owl on the moon]

No worries. I just hope all the issues have been resolved for you and that only peace remains. And yes, as for this country, we must keep dreaming and writing of better tomorrows.

[Nicholas Shea]

This is wonderfully written!! Such a beautiful way to describe a terrifying place

[Moonie]

Thanks for visiting my page, and much thanks for the lovely review! :))

[J.R.H.]

Beautiful. The imagery here is very strong. It's always good to read a poem that takes you somewhere. Thanks for the read.

[Moonie]

You made me smile! Thank you so much for your review! :))))

[Lenah Mehzabin]

This is just amazing ...Thanks for writing such a poetry that describes the worst image of Todays city life.Loved the beautiful ending !!

[Moonie]

Thanks love! What a stellar review you've left! :)))

[elvenom]

Gonna spare the big ol' compliments and reviews since you already have them and just gonna say that I liked reading this. It is very realistic and well constructed piece. Thank you for sharing it!

[Moonie]

Haha...I am glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for reviewing! :)

[Jennie Baron]

A skillfully worded, insightful description of this dystopian post-apocalyptic world. It's chilling with such a note of hopelessness, and there's no better word than desolation, as the other reviewers said. I hope humankind never reduces our beautiful world to such a state.

[Moonie]

Jenny ma'am....it's been so long since I read any of your writing...but then again, I haven't been that active these past few months...I am glad you liked this one! Your compliments mean a lot to me! :))
I am gonna head towards your page in a moment...

[Jennie Baron]

Thanks so much, Moon! And your comments have been encouraging to me. You're certainly welcome to head to my page, but I haven't posted new poetry in a while. I have 13 chapters of my novel published, but they're not in final form. I'm excited that they're nearing it! Some revisions still to come on the Cafe.

[Coyote Poetry]

Sad ending to powerful story in the Books and poetry had no magic left.
"Bedtime tales did not wash away fears...
No sword would have them killed.
Darkened under some heavy magic spell...
Trapped in a black potion jar...
The whole country slept under a nightmare quilt...poetry."
The above lines could stand alone. You create sad place filled fear and no wishes. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry. I liked this one.
Coyote

[Moonie]

Thank you for the amazing review, Coyote !

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome my friend.

[Alfred Kukitz]

Here desperation rains everyday, ghosts walk alleyways looking to scare themselves. The eerieness is palpable. Please Mom I wanna go home!

Regards,
Al

[Moonie]

That's beautiful, Al! And I

[The Twin Arenas]

nice rhymes. not usually something i give a damn about.

the whole thing has a very lost, but at the same time warm, feeling to it - like a poem one would find hidden under floorboards. nice work.

[Sir Drift & Mr. Pulse]

Interesting indeed literture loosing its magic and everything lost in the clutches of fear, hope became its lap dog.

[Moonie]

Thank you, Sir drift and mr pulse for the lovely comment ! :)))

[Einstein Noodle]

"The Wasteland" ..what an incredibly read and discussed epic! ... and i am moved by your poem ..never has every line brought such a colorless grey to my mind and feelings ... "..even the winters were hardly cold." ... I would say you accomplished your objective ... closing line for me is a killer! as i relate it to my own USA ... but sadly it seems universal in application ... a pall of apathy in the face of fierce dying it seems ... and for me ..i come to the hope that has always sustained me ..;) so thank you for bringing me to it ..in a deviously lugubrious way :)
E.