Culture of Conceit

so this is where we are....

Self ordained pompous prophet

while attempting to keep the truth securely hidden

you spontaneously erupt to joust unbidden 

with those who deserve superior standing.

You spar with imagined tales most obviously false

pushing the border beyond poor taste 

outmatching others with glib overstated 

extremes of parsed phrases

while seated in your insular Agora.

Reciting your assaults and victories complete

invented a step at a time flowing ever outward

to mask well the verdict of defeat.  

You rise to the heavens seeking admiration 

from listening authors who you quote having never read

and inventing thoughts they never had

all for the sake of nodding praise.

You cloak your name in various random fashions

seeking to acquire invisibility for your actions

and all the while postulating an honorable profession

and ignoring any and all accusations.

As you continue to elude deserved judgement

questions arise around mass contradictions

but are carried away with false bravado spent

before hands are raised to explain what was meant.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

This one surely seems to be a profile of someone who was recently elected.

[carl]

Well now it must be a coincidence or at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. - Thanks for the read and review - carl

[Dylan Macadham]

Yes, You (& Jacob) nailed him! Wish I'd written this :)
Haha, allow me a guess,
Does his name rhyme with PoopDump?

[carl]

Mmmmmm, maybe ! thanks for the read

[Lorry]

What Jacob said! 😃
I was confused at first as you expertly refused to use the phrase "fake news" or "angry oompah loompa" 😃
And now that he has his Musk(ateer) at his side, you can handily keep tabs on both lunatics who think they are in charge of the asylum at once! 😃

[carl]

this thing of who is in charge may be a blessing in disguise - a little infighting might be a good thing - thanks for the read -carl

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Gee, I wonder who this is. You so aptly display the chaos that is he.
He is already becoming a headline a day...the way he wants it. Craving attention, certified crazy.
Your description in this is perfect...the wording is superb.
j.

[carl]

thanks feel a little guilty about the hardness but then again they kinda got it coming - thanks for the read - carl

[Davidgeo]

Maga for life baby!! Yeee Hawwww!!!

It blows my mind, the kind of stigma we put on cluster b personality disorders in America yet we can't stop electing people obviously suffering from at least one of these personality disorders. Some of them are severely affected and they aren't hiding it anymore. There is an escalating mental health crisis taking place in America, no one is really taking it seriously outside of the medical and leo community. "Normal" people are just burying their head in the sand and pretending like it isn't a major systemic problem at this point. In the end that will be the reason things reach a tipping point.. normies normalizing highly inappropriate behavior and rhetoric on a large scale by ignoring it for years and years and years. By ignoring it they become complicit. I had a German friend tell me a story about this one time something like that happened over there.

[carl]

yeah have heard that closing refrain just have to hope and pray our democracy can survive the onslaught - so much emphasis on power, prestige, and the desire to have it all at the neglect of those less fortunate just seems to have taken hold - probably always an issue but maybe just more blatantly out in the open - thanks for the read -carl

[Fabian G. Franklin]

(I'm not nobody. I'm just me. What you get is what you see. And nobody else I want to be. I'm not nobody I'm just me.) Yeah, I got no use for pomposity, grandeur and pedantry spouted from pseudointellectuals and propounded as superiority. Nah, pass. Big pass. :) I really liked this, the descriptive wording is great and I can feel the cadence of the piece when reading it. Great writing, Carl.

[carl]

thank you for the read and encouragement, I can't seem to shake the negativity - I should be writing about the good side but the word avarice keeps popping up in my head. I am reading a great book - Amusing Ourselves to Death - by Neil Postman - I highly recommend it - take care, be well and write on - carl

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I just finished Susan Kay's "Legacy" a fictional historical romance about Queen Elizabeth the First. It was actually very good. I'd read her book, Phantom years ago and found this one in a library book sale. I love book sales. ;) I've bought some of my favorite books that way, The Collected Jack London. I love Jack London, what an interesting man he was and it's amazing the massive amounts of good writing he produced. Another favorite, O. Henry: The Fiction. Just beautiful writing and some of it is hilarious! O. Henry never disappoints. He invented The Cisco Kid. And those are some cool western stories. Brilliant man. The Collected Novels of Jules Verne, Douglas Addams Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Amusing Ourselves to Death" Hmm, I can certainly think of worse ways to depart. You know, whatever makes you happy in life. I've always loved to read and learn and explore the edges. I'm trying to make sense out of my star maps and learn the constellations. Cassiopeia was easy because it stood overhead all autumn when I started and so began my efforts. The giant M in the sky was easy to spot. I'm getting better but now it's too cold to go out after dark for me.

[carl]

Yes I red the entire Western stories of O Henry and then sent the book to our oldest son who read it and then sent it to our Oldest Daughter. Hard to imagine that at one time O Henry was read by the " common man " today most could not read and understand his vocabulary. Also read a lot of his grifter stories - great writer for sure. I tried H G Wells but didn't get far, A few Jack London - read some Stephen Crane and Hawthorne - Scarlet Letter amazing and short story Minister's Black Veil great story Hitchhikers Guide movie superb never tried this book - Tom Holt at least 5 of his novels - really weird but great - Terry Pratchet 5-6 books - Jasper Fford 4-5 books - when I read fiction I tend to Science fantasy or just pure fantasy - non fiction biographies or authors that I enjoy - Kipling, Lewis Carroll - are you a member of Goodreads? Site to post book read want to read reading can post reviews have friend list - I am a member and friends with my granddaughter and one of my sons both are avid readers. It's a fun site and a get lots of ideas about what to read - anyway - take care - be safe - and the very best to you and yours -carl

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Always great to chat with you, Carl, and learn of your interests. No, not a member of Goodreads but I have heard of it. I am a member of Open Library; an online library that lets you check out books to read for free. Also a member of Poetry.com and a few other sites. Speaking of "weird" have you ever read any Tom Robbins? He's from my state and a quirky writer unlike anyone else I've ever read. Jitterbug Perfume, Skinny Legs and All and Another Roadside Attraction are all books I've read by him. Tom is 92 and still with us. I think he's a national treasure. I'll have to check out Goodreads. Be safe and stay warm. We're waiting on a snow storm here. Got pintos with ham cooking in my crock pot for tomorrow, some salmon and pork chops thawed, my daughter is out of school tomorrow so we'll be having family time. Snuggled under our quilt this evening with coffee and hot chocolate and watched Christopher Robin together. Cute flick. Maybe it will be snowing in the morning, so far, still clear, cold and eerily quiet. All the best from our house to yours, F.

[Poetic Beauty]

There are so many we come across in life similar to the character you describe. Megalomaniacs with a side of narcissistic vocabulary spewing falsehoods

[carl]

I wonder if cavemen had to deal with such? " Yes, Grock, it is true, no one has done more for the Neanderthals and Mousterian flint industry of the Middle Paleolithic than me and besides that I invented the wheel and fire and I will carve my effigy in a mastodon tusk for you for the ridiculously low price of just 500 shiny beads ..." - carl

[Poetic Beauty]

I’m sure they had their own version lol much like the above statement

[Vol]

Carl,
What a fine description of every politician who ever lived. Anyone who WANTS to run for public office should be immediately disqualified.
Vol

[carl]

Thanks for the read and review appreciated the "vote" of confidence (lol) - and of course the characterization goes beyond just politicians, but I like your take on those who want to be shouldn't be allowed - I've heard of statesmen but not sure we have any of those if we ever did, mostly it seems to be a ladder to power, prestige, and wealth with no reference of service to the populace that is just a mask to cover avarice. Tom Petty nailed it with Power Drunk - thanks again - be well - carl

[Soren]

A powerful write and do I hear some veiled anger? We have all known people like this but I have a sense that this reference is about someone on the site. A well worded poem that is moving, Well done my friend.

[carl]

yep - on site is right but not this site more like the national stage was in my mind- anger? yeah probably - but as Joe Friday always said , " Just the facts " - dare I claim concise and objective information? Thanks for the read and review - carl