Automoronic Smile (Man In The Corner)

Working in Japan is so much fun...

Can I make a plea

For a frontal lobotomy?

 

My head aches

For my withered heart.

 

Leaden limbs locate

The next choco-lift

As my brain fumbles

For fuzzy sentiments.

 

I’m constrained.

Squished beneath your palm,

Tightly bound

Under someone’s thumb.

 

You put me on autopilot

To avoid a riot

I swerve and smile

To a puppeteer’s style.

 

I love Japan

I love every man

And, I really want to say

Your land is so beautiful.

 

My plastic prison

Keeps me here.

Credit card crunchies

Lloyd Bank’s munchies.

 

You put me on autopilot

Sent me to the Hyatt

Your robotic foreigner

Left in the corner.

 

I flower and smile

Feeling mercantile

As I forlornly,

Prostitute my goodwill.

 

Give me reason

Give me a chance

Give me wings

And the purpose it all brings.

 

I flower for you

I try for you

I work for you

I live with you

I talk to you

I try to help you.

Yet,

I am nothing to you.

So, just so you know.

All my flowers are plastic.

Reviews

[1809 Black Plague Decem..]

wow, hard to decipher this one, because it's plastic in the end. Plasticity or Plastic itself? Plastic is usually held as low esteem. But my mother told me a lot of beautiful things are decorated and made of plastic. Yet its not clear here which one you mean, either way, the message come in duality and elusive, and alluding. Love it! xxxoo, mishy

[Raef C. Boylan]

Be this plea or revenge...I know not.
It's a very effective poem though; we empathise with your position as The Foreigner, who will never belong no matter how much he contributes and tries.
Your demeanour has become artificial because your heart isn't in it any more - it's their loss. You know reflect the plastic environment in which you were placed [I think that's the gist of this piece; let me know if I'm off track?]

A good write, featuring some poetically clever references and language.
Thanks for posting it.

[Bhavya Kaushik]

Very unique piece and beautifully written. I loved the entire flow of the piece very much. A superb read overall :)

[Brianna Brie]

I flower and smile
Feeling mercantile
As I forlornly,
Prostitute my goodwill.

I really like the word usage "Prostitute my goodwill". It is thinking outside the box of the traditional meaning that comes to mind. Plastic flowers...superb work.

[[untitled]]

I think this has more than a thread of satire and therefore it beats the drum of cynicism, it is extremely well thought out. Frontal lobotomy indeed, you are a very clever writer, you allow us to see Japan on different levels here, almost caressing the stanzas with 'plasticism' credit, credit and more credit! I think they set the pace for the rest of the 'free' world...
Nicely done Wulfstan, so nice to read your work again.
Helen :-)

[Tanis Eagles Miller]

Unique and very leftfield, not the band, lol. um..its got your twisty double meanings as usual. Plastic flowers? does that mean fake? youre faking your goodness because you are tired of being rejected for being ernest?

[An Ordinary Woman]

I really like your chosen title, "Automoronic Smile (Man In The Corner)" that really sets the pace for this poem.

I read the other reviews and see that different views were taken from this piece and that is a good thing, to me it means people can relate to your words. What I took from this was almost a "working for the man" feeling, but spoken lovingly. You give all but even so, your flowers are plastic. This really is an interesting read and I enjoyed it.

[*** Hey Jude***]

I really like the way you have shown through this piece how different cultures can really be hard to mesh with. It must be very uncomfortable at times! I enjoyed the whole piece but the last stanza was great! ~ Judi :-) xo

[David Lewis Paget]

I know exactly what you're saying... perhaps it's that old asian suspicion of foreigners thing. I spent a year in China in 2005-06, absolutely loved the place, the people, the lifestyle, the history - it overwhelmed me. I even tried to learn a little of their language, and would love to go back, to do more, but although I found the Chinese delightful, I still sensed that reserve where it came to true friendship. They are sensitive to a fault, and their ideas about 'losing face' makes them reluctant to unburden themselves, to reveal too much to the foreigner. But we love 'em, nevertheless. Sad, really.