by William Skink

I’ve been thinking about my poetic craft and how it relates to the weird toy sculptures I’ve been making, and how those toy sculptures relate to the toy brick world I am building, a metaphorical world I call Zula.

Twenty years ago, as a creative writing undergrad at UM, my approach to poetry was very different. I utilized a flood of language and open forms and abhorred simple rhyme schemes like the ones I use today.

What changed?

Maybe it’s reading so many kids books and appreciating how some simple rhymes are vastly superior to others.

There is also the challenge of scarcity. How to convey a lot using very little. Anyone who appreciates Haiku understands that.

So all that said, after yesterday’s post about Tom Roberts poem THE GREAT REALIZATION, I offer my rebuttal:

THE GREAT DIVIDE

build back better
your betters say
creative destruction
hooray! hooray!

you never would have
gone along
so we sang
the pandemic song

you dirty hordes
make the planet sick
with fertile wombs
and dumb fuck sticks

with you inside
the earth rebounds
culling is kindness
up is down

I sense confusion
your furrowed brow
your sovereign delusion
you’re not our cow

at the appointed time
go bang your pans
or loudly howl
or clap your hands

those who question
are not your tribe
ignore their protests
the great divide

is our greatest tool
since the cross
to win the mind
some hearts get tossed