Let's workshop this poem about a person, "a drunk," hastily downing beers in a fleeting moment before the grim news bulletin makes continued drinking among family and friends wildly inappropriate
In "Plausible Deniability," the speaker captures a moment of self-deception and moral reckoning, set against the backdrop of an impending revelation. The imagery of "huddled eyes glued to the glowing anchor" suggests a figure fixated on the television, perhaps seeking solace or distraction in the news. The act of quickly finishing off the "brewskis" highlights a desperate attempt to cling to the last vestiges of denial before the sobering truth, represented by the "sobering bulletin," sets in. This bulletin is a metaphorical moment of clarity, a point at which the reality of the situation becomes undeniable, even to someone entrenched in self-deception. The phrase "speed’s uneasy price" hints at the consequences of trying to escape or outpace the inevitable, suggesting that the speaker is aware of the cost of their actions but still chooses to indulge. The final lines, where the intake of anything, "even of gum," becomes "indecent," underscore the depth of this moral awakening. It's a stark recognition that no amount of escapism can shield one from the truth. The poem thus explores themes of denial, accountability, and the fleeting nature of self-imposed ignorance, illustrating the tension between indulgence and the inevitable confrontation with reality.
In "Plausible Deniability," the speaker captures a moment of self-deception and moral reckoning, set against the backdrop of an impending revelation. The imagery of "huddled eyes glued to the glowing anchor" suggests a figure fixated on the television, perhaps seeking solace or distraction in the news. The act of quickly finishing off the "brewskis" highlights a desperate attempt to cling to the last vestiges of denial before the sobering truth, represented by the "sobering bulletin," sets in. This bulletin is a metaphorical moment of clarity, a point at which the reality of the situation becomes undeniable, even to someone entrenched in self-deception. The phrase "speed’s uneasy price" hints at the consequences of trying to escape or outpace the inevitable, suggesting that the speaker is aware of the cost of their actions but still chooses to indulge. The final lines, where the intake of anything, "even of gum," becomes "indecent," underscore the depth of this moral awakening. It's a stark recognition that no amount of escapism can shield one from the truth. The poem thus explores themes of denial, accountability, and the fleeting nature of self-imposed ignorance, illustrating the tension between indulgence and the inevitable confrontation with reality.