I met a man once who said, It's all
nothing. Everything goes away in the end.
It doesn't mean anything.
I asked him, What about love?
He said, It's an illusion;
it disappears when you
think you have it.
It means nothing;
we are all going to die.
I saw him walking one day,
and I asked him
where he was going.
He said, It doesn't matter, all roads lead to death;
it all ends the same- nothing matters.
I said, What about family, children, and God-
what about life?
Family abandons you, children grow up and
move away; God is deaf and dumb, if he's
even there, and life ends in decay-
everything goes away.
I said, What about art and literature,
the power and the hope?
What's the point of beauty if the
beauty ends? he said.
I said, What about the moment? You're
alive right now, it's real and it's happening.
Look at the simple beauty of that robin-
Its breast looks like a sunset.
Do you smell the sweetness of the cherry blossoms?
Do you remember the slippery loveliness of
a woman's vagina, the taste of a fine Chardonnay?
Look at the dappled fur on that dog; he's almost
grinning, that has to matter; it has to
mean something.
No, he said, That dog could get hit by a
car in an hour, then he'd just be a pile of
bones rotting in the street.
But look, I said. He's alive; his fur is warm and
course; look at his tail wag, he knows things.
He shook his head. You don't get it.
The race is fixed; the horse breaks
his leg in the home stretch.
The champ goes down from a
glancing blow, the dice are loaded.
It's a setup.
Everything goes awry,
it's not good for mice
or men.
I smiled and threw a perfectly
timed left jab to
the bridge of his nose, the blood was the most
brilliant shade of red I'd ever seen.
It flowed from his nostrils and
settled on the green grass
below his feet.
Some of it stained his white shoes.
Hey what the hell did you do that for?
That fucking hurt.
I said, Pain is nothing- it will end- it's almost
like it didn't happen;
maybe it's a dream.
You're fucking crazy!
It is real; you punched me,
and now my shirt and shoes are
ruined, he said.
He walked away, and the sun broke
trough the clouds, flowers bloomed,
and a small black
beetle crawled through a
patch of blood onto
a lilac bush.
And somehow, I knew
that it all mattered.
-
Author:
Thomas W Case (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: January 7th, 2024 18:51
- Comment from author about the poem: Check out my boo, Seedy Town Blues Collected Poems on Amazon.com Please subscribe to my you tube channel where I read my poetry.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 31
Offline)
Comments10
Everything we do.. or don't do has meaning.
Good write!
PICK ONE
a, A spontaneous criminally driven burst of violence doesn’t always make people shut up.
b. If status is awry mice and men visit the red scarlett bridge and decide the beetle is worth saving
c. When a pessimist attempts to ascribe practicality to a droning rant a well aimed and timed assault may remove obstacles in time for blooming flowers and lilac bushes to be appreciated.
PICK ONE
a, A spontaneous criminally driven burst of violence doesn’t always make people shut up.
b. If status is awry mice and men visit the red scarlett bridge and decide the beetle is worth saving
c. When a pessimist attempts to ascribe practicality to a droning rant a well aimed and timed assault may remove obstacles in time for blooming flowers and lilac bushes to be appreciated.
Lol Bobby or D. Everything Matters. Thank you as always for the very insightful comment.
Enjoyed this read. Some people walk through their lives half dead. I feel sorry that they miss out. If you can’t appreciate the little things in life, there!s no hope. Much to contemplate here.
Thank you for the read and comment.
Now I knew an (imaginary) very hostile guy. I said 'Hello' to him. he said 'What do you mean hello?' and punched me on the nose. Doh!
A charming fella. lol.
Lol, thanks for commenting.
A powerful poem. And completely agree with the sentiment. Everything matters.
Thanks Tom
This is really quite exceptionally brilliant Tom .. N
Thanks brother. Cheers.
Confirmation of his suspicions I suspect!
Lol, thanks
Brilliant! The build up with each example carefully laid for the next to be laid on. The vivid imagery, and the finish so well done. A masterpiece of nihilism vs optimism, the age old battle between good and evil. Loved it.
Thank you so much. Appreciated.
The slipperyness of a woman's vagina and taste of a Chardonnay...
If people can't appreciate the pleasures in life or acknowledge they exist it's a sad life to lead....you always express so well... thanks
Much appreciated John
To be able to comment and rate this poem, you must be registered. Register here or if you are already registered, login here.