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.
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.
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.