Civilization

 

 

 

Civlization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the twilight had merged

With the sheets of night

The sun decided never to rise again

 

Yet, we were not aware of it yet...

 

A beautiful boy complied

The addictive music waves

His pierced lips and deviant grin

Dimmed under the flashing lights

Of the dancespot.

 

Blood; its sinister dark color

And unpleasant scent

Seeped in between the metal

In a prison cell.

 

A few women stood in a corner

Inhaling toxin and exhaling fog

In between long, bruised fingers

The corners of their eyes

Followed strangers

And they would snigger

 

The city's bright twinkles

Streaming the roads

Lining along skyscrapers

And endlessly speeding automobiles

 

A deep roar. From underground.

The crusts of dry pavement colliding

Huffing all the twinkles off

The man-built walls rising.

Falling. Like ocean tides.

And tumbling down.

Before ignorant human pieces of dominos

Could scream and scramble around.

 

The world was breaking.

But God was not furious.

He merely grew sick of our routine:

The repetitive ungrateful pride

Of reaching the peak

Of what we once called 'Civilization'

 

Author's Note

Comments, reviews, corrections are appreciated.

Reviews

[SoLongAndThanksForAllTh..]

Is this poem a warning about our decent into pointless tedium or a prediction of imminent apocolypse? However we might choose to interpret it you've written a very powerful description of a broken society.

I think what makes this poem particularly vivid is the lack of emotion displayed by everyone, including God. The only active engagement by the characters in the poem is shown by the sun who makes the "decision" not to rise again. What follows is a description of people living their lives in a state of pointless humdrum. The boy does not enjoy his beauty, the women find no pleasure in their drugs and the rest of the city goes about its business with the citizens adding nothing more than a little movement as they speed about their business. To conclude with God destroying it all not out of anger or as punishment but because it is all just too pointless really drives the point home.

I enjoyed reading this poem as to me it seems to be about how we should try to live rather than blindly exist - almost waiting for death to come along!

[TL Boehm]

i enjoyed the juxtaposition of the brutality of the city, the image in the prison cell along with the beauty of city lights. the "crusts of dry pavement" great metaphor there.

[Searching 4 Serenity]

"THOUGH, we were not aware of it yet."
Other than that, this was great! I really enjoy when someone is able to accurately pin-point mans pride and greed in writing. CHEERS! :D

Earthquakes will shake to wake you up again

[Dante Balsote]

The tower of Babel?

[Cynthia]

I love the way you showed us different images through different staza, nice imagery, the descriptions of it was really interesting and keeps us inside this poem! I agree with you, there will be a time that civilization ends, then it comes again, keeps going :)
Goof Job!

[No use.]

Im guessing Our future is horridly bleak ? Lolll

[Nautili]

i like how you show a different scene in each stanza, but all prove to make a valid point-"civilized' society can indeed act anything but civil. Poignant commentary on society.

[PaperDoll]

I like this a lot. It creates a convincing environment, very rich in description and imagery and I can picture it all.

My favourite lines are "But God was not furious. He merely grew sick of our routine".

Well done. :)

[Rikkevi Rue]

the reality of the "real world" is one thing we see...the reality of the mind is another still. It appears that there is creation, then there is survival and finally destruction and that this cycle is the truth. A more enlightened view reveals that there is creation, continued creation which is then met with counter creation, then no creation and finally nothing remains. for after all it is ALL only a creation...What becomes fascinating to me is that our civilization cycles through that apparent cycle- creation, survival and destruction but at each of those levels there is creation, continued creation met by counter creation, a cessation of creation and finally no creation resulting in progression into the next phase wherein this process repeats. So in a sense, the destruction of a world is the creation of a new one. This seasons plant life dies and decays providing nutrient rich soil for the seeds of the next generation. With human kind it is harder to conceive unless one adds a spiritual element to the equation orchestrating it all to higher evolution...Your poem reminds and inspires in these regards. Titillating!

[Michael Jarrell]

Society is bullshit.

But what's so bad about a pierced lip?

;)