Scapegoat [Part Two]

He fears…

most days; series circuits of guilt

that make demands, like filling bank accounts

and fridges, propelling him out of the front door,

beyond the four walls of his decorated cell

into the outside [Hell]

                                         world populated by lynch mobs

in disguise as friendly people.

 

People who buy headlines

sold by his potential temptation

to fuel their primitive rage,

then engage in denunciation

over dividing fences

or when waiting for buses,

while he nods in the right places

and paces through anxieties

that they might possess X-Ray vision

and be watching him try to silence

the thundering condemnatory rhythm

that rises every morning,

like himself from sticky linen.       

 

Radio

goading action

without factual basis

[the real entertainment in-between

trivial chart stasis]

on which co-workers comment darkly

because they revel in bad news –

their incensed attitudes reflected

in the sound-bite interviews;

statements inciting further development of internal theories

regarding the instinctive violence, lurking within humanity.

 

His parents feeding him roast beef

and unyielding opinions each visit;

they’ve viewed cousin Darren as a deviant

since he came out of the closet

…and hanging’s too good for some people…

                                      …it’s terrible; parents scared to let the kids play out

[because of all the sick b******s about…]

                                      …the government’s too busy housing immigrants…

…they say it’s a disease like the gays but…

 …more like a bug that needs exterminating now…

 

The best way to invite mass hate is to be the villain

muttered about outside of school gates;

the bogeyman who would violate these little darlings of eight.

Why eight he wonders desperately sometimes late at night –

he’s not a pool player but he knows the black [list]

          ball

bearing that number is the last thing you do

then the game is over…

 

so maybe it’s one of those

subconscious prophecies

reminding him that, from our own nature,

death is the only release...

 

Author's Note

Some of the stanzas are a bit of a mouthful; any help appreciated.
Is the rhythmn ok, and is it making any sense? Thanks.

If you liked this, please read Part One/Part Three, to get the full picture. Thanks.

Reviews

[Bubo]

I am in awe............seriously, this mans life before me in words and yet I feel him..........
the dilemmas of everyday life..........conforming...........and simply existing rather than living when the world proceeds with its dramas and judging..............just a brilliant piece............and so thought
provoking!


His parents feeding him roast beef
and unyielding opinions each visit;
they�ve viewed cousin Darren as a deviant
since he came out of the closet
�and hanging�s too good for some people�
�it�s terrible; parents scared to let the kids play out
[because of all the sick b******s about�]
�the government�s too busy housing immigrants�
�they say it�s a disease like the gays but�
�more like a bug that needs exterminating now�

And this rings many bells for me too.................very frightening picture you paint of our society
today.

[JR]

Ineffable.

The image of the black[list] eight ball underscores the entire piece. I think the rhythm is just right, and I wouldn't change a word. Occasionally, I run across a piece that changes everything about the way I think of poetry and what it does, how it operates on the subconscious. This is one of those poems. I couldn't suggest anything to change or refine because I still am locked in the thought process this invoked. Jesus, just give me a second to breathe, already...

[~ Tex]

Excellent work with a topic that never seems to die.

[Jenny Davis]

Once again, you have hit on some really good points here and with all that's going on this world, I sometimes will concur that death is our only true release....this was extremely well written!

[A.L. James]

I suggest the title "Grit and cigarette ashes". This was far better than the first of the series.

[eli mercuree rue]

lol
im stupid
i was like wondering
why it went from part one to part three
without a part two
haha
so umm yeah

well
now
i see somethings
i didnt see in
part three
cause
8ball
was pretty neccesary

i use to play pool
with my dad when i was little
was always
"this pocket and ill give you five dollars"
and i would make the
shot
hed smile
and say "you cheated do it again"
i would
then id try again
miss
hed take the stick
and shoot
the remaining
balls in without missing
any
he waas a pool
w***e
if you ask me
he use to watch late at night
recordings
of it
from
earlier in the day when
he
was at
work
and on saturday
nights
he would always
go play pool at the bars
with my big brothers
..pointless telling you but
now you
cant say i never
told you a random story in a review
lol

so anyway
pool:
sticks hitting balls in general
pretty
graphic
if you ask me
especially considering
it
occurs after gays
just
saying yo

i wonder if hes more scared of
touching
a kid the age of eight
or a kid the age of eight
who is a boy too


tis funnt
the things we hold near
are the things
we f**k up
the most


i pretty much agree with cherry centers.. figure it would be stupid to repeat everything she said

lata

[Angelheaded Hipster]

Nice continuation....I think though....this not a slight on you by any means, cause this rocks and rolls just fine...I just like the dream piece....
Maybe that speaks volumes of my own personality, eh?

[G. Cedillo]

eerie, i don't know if this is a continuation from the first [No Title Yet] (then again i don't see how it cannot be also) but i feel that anger swell too - wonderfully treated without too much emotional baggage or personal belief/context -- just straightforward and rushed so, it being a very important matter to address
thank you for the read,
. g .

[lostintheworld]

hmmm
I'm starting to catch on...

first it's the fear to think for ourselves (the telly, the news, the radio)
but then it's also the negativity that is always around us- misery loves company

like those people we tend to avoid cause they always have something to b***h about
and it makes us miserable just to be around them- but the irony in their bitching is that
most times they are only repeating something they've heard somewhere else from somone else and they lack any form of original thought whatsoever....

the first stanza- damn i love that
the way you've described that thing that forces most ouf of bed each day...filling bank accounts-
and then dinner with the parents
forcefeeding him thier ideologies

and the last lines
death the only release
it's perfect

hmmm
I'm just barely grasping this though...i need to let it marinate a bit more and reread part 1
but i love where this is going

and when three is ready it will appear...like magic...
haha

[Anthony Morningstar]

I would really love to this character to have a fake blog. Or maybe that's just some sort of stange idea that I have about things like this. Like some sort of to expand on this. I guess that I'm just really fasnatined by these types of people. Partly because I feel like I'm one and partly because I have got an idea for a book around something like this. I guess really in the end I don't want something like this to stop. I'm be greedy in the end I guess I'll just shut up now.