Man

sorenbarrett

 We have sold our freedom for comfort. 
Bowing  to the bully of a brave new world. 
Clean air for diesel fumes, peace of nature for the ease of a room of consistent temperature.  
A cool rain on one's face for a hot shower on one's back
A stary night for the security of illuminated streets.
No more to hear the rush of a stream, traded for the flush of a toilet. 
The call of birds in trees now the blaring horns of traffic on asphalt. 
Warm home baked bread for a cold loaf of baked additives
Nature's honey and roots discarded for a full belly of plastic called cheese, painted salmon and water that must be bleached. 
Emojis have become our touch of tenderness

Comments +

Comments22

  • nephilim56 ( Norman Dickson)

    Bully is indeed the word my friend, a definite fav

  • Teddy.15

    We have sold our freedom for comfort.
    Bowing to the bully of a brave new world.

    Sad 😢 but so true and it's all thanks to those who allow the power.


    Did you know ironically in Italy Diesel now cost more than petrol,

    • sorenbarrett

      Thank you Teddy for the read and kind words of support and encouragement. Yes the price of diesel It is the same in the USA. Here in Brazil it is less expensive but then virtually all goods are shipped via truck not train.

    • arqios

      Guilty as charged 🕊️🙏🏻🥰

      • sorenbarrett

        Thanks Cryptic, we all are at some point I know no one living in a cave but a cabin and wood fire with only electric and wifi is as far as I want to go for most of the year. Appreciate you my friend

        • arqios

          Same here Soren 🕊️🙏🏻

        • Thomas W Case

          There’s a strong pulse of longing running through this—like a quiet grief for something traded away piece by piece. The structure of contrasts works well; each line feels like a small bargain struck, comfort gained but something vital surrendered.

          • sorenbarrett

            Thanks my friend you got it. I do appreciate your comments they help shape future poems as does your writing that I so much enjoy.

          • soheil khodaparasti

            Selling our freedom for comfort comes at a cost: we gradually diminish ourselves. As our emotional world narrows, it is only natural that emojis become our most fluent language of emotion.

          • Friendship

            A good read, it's best not to comment

            • sorenbarrett

              Thanks for the read my friend

            • Classicmister

              A true but sad reflection on the world today where additionally the cell phone (or mobile in the UK) is a poor substitute for verbal conversation and enquiry. Some so called progress is welcome but some deprives us of what is natural now gone and sorely missed. A great write Soren.

              • sorenbarrett

                Thanks so much for the read and kind words of understanding and support it is most appreciated

              • orchidee

                Good write SB.

                • sorenbarrett

                  Thank you Orchi I appreciate the read and comment my friend

                • gray0328

                  And yet we trudge the happy road to our destiny. Well Done my friend

                  • sorenbarrett

                    Thanks Gray I appreciate your review and words of support my friend

                  • Khansa Akhtar

                    Justtt woww 🖤
                    I have no words 🫡🫡

                    • sorenbarrett

                      Thank you Khansa for the review and word of support it means a lot

                    • Paul Bell

                      Yes, nobody goes camping anymore, kids get driven ten yards to school, food is delivered to us, telly is 24/7.
                      People probably live and die in their house without actually leaving it now.
                      What the hell happened.

                      • sorenbarrett

                        Thanks Paul for the read and comment Yes we live in a man made world that in our arrogance of what is best if it is not man made it is not good tear it down and put up plastic.

                      • Kevin Hulme

                        I like this . Having to deal with the False. The Imitation. What's a Treadmill to a walk in the Countryside?
                        Enjoyable Read.

                        • sorenbarrett

                          Thanks so much Kevin for the read and comment it is appreciated my friend

                        • Doggerel Dave

                          Came in late as usual. Still, better here than never.
                          So where are the metaphors? lol.
                          It is a brilliant critique of modern life, at least for some inhabitants of the rich parts of the world, Soren.
                          Left me in need of more granular commentary on particular disappointments covered in your poetic statement.

                          • sorenbarrett

                            Thanks for the review Dave yes metaphors traded for contrast in images in this one my friend. Appreciate your comment

                            • Doggerel Dave

                              Should be traded indefinitely for clarity of images.

                              • sorenbarrett

                                Literature is built with walls of allegory, metaphor, foreshadowing, personification, parables, fables and all that stuff

                                • Doggerel Dave

                                  I don't read it - still plenty left.

                                • Tristan Robert Lange

                                  This was fantastic, Soren…the whole poem builds this relentless list of trades, comfort for nature, ease for wonder, and it all lands on that gut-punch closer about emojis replacing tenderness. Wonderfully written.🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦

                                  • sorenbarrett

                                    Thank you my friend for the read and comment it is as always most appreciated

                                  • William Hromada

                                    Wow! So truthful

                                  • William Hromada

                                  • Durdica Porobija

                                    The poem is full of obvious truth, exposing the lie in which we live, distant from nature and tenderness.

                                    • sorenbarrett

                                      Thank you Durdica for the read and comment it is appreciated and means a lot

                                    • 12River34

                                      "Emojis have become our touch of tenderness".
                                      Thats a stunning line.
                                      Superb poem . Thx

                                      • sorenbarrett

                                        Thanks so much for your review and most kind words of support they are deeply appreciated

                                      • NafisaSB

                                        Yes we have traded the genuine for the artificial 🤔😔so true

                                        • sorenbarrett

                                          Thank you Nafisa for the review and comment it is most appreciated

                                        • The Great Kateri

                                          The new normal, but why easily accepted? Perhaps because of the "ease"?
                                          wonderfully worded, sorren.

                                          • sorenbarrett

                                            Thank you so much for your review and kind words of support they are most valued

                                          • 8Blackwidow8

                                            "Emojis have become our touch of tenderness"

                                            This poem is great, and the ending verse really punctuated the whole poem.

                                            • sorenbarrett

                                              Thank you so much your read is most appreciated and your words are highly valued

                                            • Iam1ItchyLizzard

                                              and mostly all in my lifetime too your such a realist .....

                                              • sorenbarrett

                                                Thank you for the review my friend it is most appreciated



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