Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Let's workshop this poem that explores the turbulent but electrifying experiences of a man who finds vitality and tranquility amidst the hardships and uncertainties of life.
For an updated version, see: https://maistvanjr.substack.com/p/boulevard-of-broken-dreams-round
This poem in unpublished
Photo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nighthawks_by_Edward_Hopper_1942.jpg
SAFE SPACE REPORT
Obviously this poem is too traumatic to teach to university kids! Simply with its image of torn bible pages oiled by the fluids of woman-identifying people, we do not need to detail why. We will simply give a rewrite that makes it REAL poetry. REMEMBER: POETRY MUST RHYME!
Boulevard of Triggered Dreams
He carried his life, a vagabond's plight,
All belongings clutched, a seedy sight.
On the safe-spaces worn embrace,
A deeper warmth, no central air's grace.
Consciousness snapped, a coin's clink on the floor,
Hungover in a motel's trans bathroom's core.
Blood-spit and brown piss, a missing tooth's gap,
A searing side profile, etched like Kubrick's trap.
TV drama's voice, eager to defame,
"You ceased being yourself," they exclaimed.
But deep within, his rugged skin revealed,
An aging journey, through a mirror's field.
The scent of absconded lady parts lingered near,
Gideon pages torn, whispered tales sear.
Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine entwined,
Guiding him to realms where time unwinds.
A hurricane-eye feeling, adventure's fire,
Awakening on cool concrete, pigeon's choir.
Dumpster air wafting, restaurant's decay,
Oceanic freshness, duck sauce's disarray.
Hooked on fires, problematic veins ablaze,
Bad times enlivened, in a DEI-healed maze.
Trash in jail, bologna's pale embrace,
Hard apples and peanut butter, a gritty taste.
Crack whores' pack, a ruthless embrace,
A gazelle's throat clenched, dreams interlace.
Floating amidst a womb-like dream,
Pain diffused, evolution's redeem.
Winter shelters filled, options laid bare,
Hospital walls, anti-psych meds, a solace rare.
Regretless plea, mailed to childhood's hold,
Exploits recounted, wild and bold.
Bottle-smash dangers, a perilous domain,
Untrustworthy companions, their presence wane.
Freedom from routine, a bitter pill,
A question lingers, a writer's will.