Uppercase Hyperbole

Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid. ~ Mark Twain

Sound the alarm!  It’s time to panic!
Unhinge the senses and send a text.
Tweeter on Twitter, full-blown manic,
and set a fire for the doubly-vexed.

Apocalyptic conversations
are full of nothing, empty and vague.
Upend the world and all its nations.
Quick!  It is coming, another plague!

An existential threat is at hand.
We must scream a little bit louder;
for, if we shout, they will understand.
Words are to wounds as guns to powder.

I don’t care to hear the other side.
They are idiots in denial.
Carbon emissions are amplified,
and we must ramp up the damn dial.

This is the paradox of our time:
the louder we shout, the less we hear.
The more we distort, the less we prime
the will of a once listening ear.

The more we hype the truth, as we know,
the less likely we are bound to bend.
This partisan scourge, a body blow,
must come to naught for our own good end.

All good men must sit at the table.
Good women must participate too.
Be respectful, mindful, and able
to listen to those in front of you.

We can have the most beautiful world,
the most beautiful world ever seen,
a heaven-on-earth world, a dreamworld,
absolution in gardens of green.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

hear hear young lady! i agree 100% ... quite with the dividing (who needs Russia - we do it ourselves) it's shameful how the Democrats from day one have gone off the cliff with accusation after accusation after accusation and so far all to the tune of no evidence and millions and million s of tax dollars spent and worthwhile Bills languishing in the House ... disgusting says i! i feel this poem to the quick my friend! if someone wants President Donald Trump out of the White House then vote ... its not that far away eh!? sheesh!! the rhetoric is viscous, vitriolic hate mongering without substance ... stop stop stop says i! please!!!!!!!!! >;[
E.
ps. thanks for the forum Linda! ;)

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, E. The election will determine the outcome, and I believe Trump will win by a landslide.

[Einstein Noodle]

i'm with you dahlink! ..unless some real proof of a real transgression is brought to light .. i can't wait to vote for this most successful President I have seen in my 50 voting years ... he actually is doing what he said he wanted to do .. i just don't understand the hate :(

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I didn't support Trump nor did I support Hillary. For the first time, I opted not to vote. Since Trump had been a lifelong liberal, I simply didn't trust him. I understand the hate because the left has done nothing but stir hate from the moment he was elected. They have tried everything, manufactured so many lies, and I fully believe have tried everything by hook or crook to remove him from office. The impeachment mess is the same. I personally wish he would stay off of social media, and I have always felt that when he talks he sounds like he's talking to the lowest common denominator. He honestly makes me cringe with the stuff he says sometimes. I am able to separate my dislike of that, however, from his policies. I do believe he loves America. He cares about how our money is invested. His tax reform plan and the bi-partisan opportunity zones bill has resulted in more money being put into the pockets of working Americans and is investing money to fund new and small businesses, develop blighted properties, invest in key local infrastructure projects, finance facility construction or refurbishment, and a number of other activities intended to revitalize and enhance local economic ecosystems. The unemployment rate is the lowest ever, particularly for blacks and Hispanics. He cares about our border; and after what happened with 9 Americans being killed in Mexico, it is but more proof that he is right. I'm all for legal immigration, but we need to secure our borders, both with Mexico and Canada. I think Congress needs to pass immigration reform to make it easier for people to come here but still have requirements in place to make sure that there is value in coming here. The "American Dream" shouldn't be one of open borders and giving away the house. Anyway, I could go on and on. When it comes to optics, one has to admit that Trump is not very presidential. He oftentimes looks uncomfortable in his own skin, talks without thinking, has some of the craziest mannerisms; and let's face it, because of his wealth, power, and status, his ideas towards women are very sexist. No surprise to me. A man in his position will always have women throwing themselves at him so his attitude is based in experience.

[Einstein Noodle]

I am Independant and voted for him .. he does say things off the cuff that are usually exagerated and tainted by the media .. but he is no dummy for sure ... and he fights back ... so refreshing .. love on ya Linda ... Donald Trump reminds me at times of JFK .. neither needed anyones money and so the "swamp" were afraid ... both acted on their instincts and heart .. they don't owe any "favors"

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I totally agree with you. :-)

[JE Falcon]

I second this, if I may. --- "the louder we shout, the less we hear." A Great poem with lots of meaning.

[barleygirl]

There are many prescriptions for the log jam in our social discourse as well as our political progress & the one you've written here is a strong part of the puzzle to put things back together again. It's funny to be reading this at the end of a week where world leaders were sniping at each other at the NATO summit, demonstrating a profound lack of leadership, such as you've called out in your astute poem! *wink! wink!* Fondly, Margie

[Dave Brown]

The image is truly a winner
I think, as I believe the poem states, the world is a beautiful place but as I see man's increasing stupidity, I wonder about the final outcome.
There are areas of improvement and now a young girl might make a difference, But! I dunno.
I see also that Trump wants to withdraw from the Paris accord which to me is a huge mistake.
I understand the, compete with other economies/make a living thing but somewhere along the line we are going to pay a huge price if allasame keeps rolling right along
another good write
Did I say I love the image
Just in case I didn't, let me say,
I love the image

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Dave. I thought the image was amazing as well, somewhat patriotic; and with the nose over exaggerated symbolic of hyperbole.

[Lorry]

Love the Twain quote and theres never been a truer word said, re "the louder we shout, the less we hear."
It seems to be that this is the way of the world, whether it be the political arena, the media or those that live next door to the Jones', insisting on telling the world how amazing they say there life is, how sussed they have it and how much we really need to listen to them because what they have in their head should be what is in everyones... Which is why i no longer read or watch the news and travel everywhere with my earphones in, in a way similar to wearing a do not disturb sign.
Isnt it ironic that those who demand we listen to have the least to say and are just making noise to show they count.
Thats my opinion and if anyone disagrees, well ill just unfriend them 😀
I really like the last verse, which to me sounds like common sense, yet can we really say any more that sense is common? I hear a very big IF silently play 😀
Now, lets talk about ME ME ME 😀
A beautiful write that lingers long after reading, in a "how did we get here" kinda way. Questioning what we say is important, from what is.

[R.E. Ray]

“This is the paradox of our time” could be a subtitle on such a book’s cover. That line and those that follow are profound.

I doubt if we have enough “good” men and women in Washington, DC or our state governments to fix what’s broken. I read not long ago it takes about $1 million to run for a US representative seat (which was originally intended for the common, working class). We’re not represented by anything common, and because they’re not connected to the people, our “representatives” mostly represent their own and special interests.

I appreciate and applaud the optimism you express in the last two stanzas. That’s what makes America great—we believe in the seemingly impossible.

A good poem-message and entertaining, original artwork.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, R.E. I agree with you wholeheartedly. At one time, our representatives maintained offices in their home states. Now, they are a part of the Washington bubble, immune from the people once they have been elected. They pimp themselves out like the cheapest w****s, promises everything under the sun; but once elected, their promises become dust. We don't hear from them until it's time for a re-election. Whatever one thinks of the President, he is just the face, the final signature on laws that are written by Congress. As of August, 2019, Congress has an approval rating of 17%. Since tax dollars pay for PBS, I think airtime for debates should be done for free on PBS and that's it. The representatives should keep their office in their home states, and there should be forced term limits for members of Congress. If 8 years is good enough for the President, it should be good enough for members of Congress as well. While this idea was rejected by our founding fathers and the SCOTUS ruled against states who tried to impose term limits, I think there should be a Constitutional Convention to change this. Like you said, they don't represent us anymore and never will if this doesn't change.

[R.E. Ray]

You know this subject well, as good Americans should. If everyone understood the issues as you have shown here, we wouldn’t have this mess.

I’d support sweeping hundreds of elected official out of office now. If you’ve served more than 8 years in any office, you’re gone. They won’t be unemployed. They’ll just move to K street and join their other lobbyist friends.

Maybe we can start a movement in the Cafe!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I've been a political junkie since I was about 23 years old. Now, more than ever, I wish I wasn't. It's so frustrating to me that so many people have been dumbed down, and they do not care to educate themselves on the issues. They swallow hook, line, and sinker the 15-second soundbites of rhetoric that they hear or the 280 characters of nonsense on Twitter or whatever newsflash comes up on Facebook, and that's it. I read from various sources, watch CNN and FOX, and try to gather the truth in between without the bias on one side or the other. I wish every one else spent a little time and effort into doing the same before they form an opinion and repeat the nonsense that they hear without even bothering to find out if it's true or not.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

These are wonderful thoughts expressed here.Have you ever watched children on a playground? They don't care what color of skin another child has or the wealth of his family. They just want to play and be friends. If we can't regain that sort of empathy for one another, that lost in adolescence innocence, we might never be able to properly communicate because a large part of communication is listening to and understanding each other. We all want love, acceptance, respect and kindness from others and in my opinion the best way to achieve that is by giving it to others. We must learn to feel like those children again so we can come to the table with our disputes and seek solutions like adults instead of hurling blame and insults. Those are my thoughts. Bless.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Fabian. I agree with everything you've said. Hopefully there will be a reawaking among all of society.

[CD Campbell]

Evil that men do lives on and on. I think now a days, people are addicted to hate on both sides. They're addicted to politics and it makes them feel special in their tribalism. I'm on the stay the hell off my lawn political party.

But opinions are like you know what and I just want to bring attention to your flowing meter and tight rhymes. Once again, you have structured a well written poem with a subject that many have a biased opinion on. Why do people want to control other people with their destructive dialogue? I dont know. But what I do know is that your verse is exquisite. Have a good day.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, CD. I place the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the American people. At the forefront, we have politicians and the media dividing people through identity politics; but the people themselves fall for it. This, in my opinion, is what happens when our education system has been dumbed down, when history is no longer taught, and critical thinking is not promoted. Rather than educate themselves on the issues, they fall for the heated rhetoric and soundbites that they are fed.

[Beccy]

I am an ardent champion of free speech; but the problem is, you give a fool a platform and it allows him to shout even louder and more falsely; and it is deaily becoming more and more difficult to distinquish between the truth and a lie.

Other than the fact that Jeff Bezos would almost instantly lose his title of richest chap in the world, (poor man,) I propose there would be no harm in shutting down the net for a month, you know, a kind of social experiment. As for Facetwit and Booker, as I have fondly named them, good riddance! I neither subscribe or prescribe to either, and never will.

Well said!

Beccy.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

If I recall correctly, Amazon stock fell a few days ago; and Bezos is no longer the richest man in the world, Bill Gates is. I'm not on any social media platforms. I was on Facebook years ago for about three months before I deleted my profile. It should be renamed Dramabook in my opinion. I think they are all the same, and my brain just cannot handle that nonsense. Thank you for visiting.

[Sami Khalil]

Such true and powerful peoclamarions about our state here and in the world at large. The pen is mightier than the sword and thank you for using it wisely. What happened to the truth, real news, common ground politics and such??? Truth is nowhere to be found, respect is lacking, honor is absent minded....
I love your message.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Sami.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome....