Mark Massey | + Follow Poet |
Couplet | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

The Finger

Listen to poem:

I’m told the pen’s mighty and outwits the sword
but my finger is stronger and won’t be ignored.
It pokes and it swipes and it rants in a roast
then it quickly DELETEs to disguise my last post.

Though swords, they can cut, and pens, they can shame
the press of a button initiates flame.
All humor aside, I’ll admit it’s a crime
when I set fire to gasoline, dressed up in rhyme.

So, I’ll UPLOAD with caution and hold taut my lip
and think before shooting my words from the hip…
and I’ll walk-off responses so quick to offend,
keeping fingers off buttons like RE-ply and SEND.

Copyright © Mark Massey | Year Posted 2025

Please Login to post a comment

Daniel Henry Rodgers Date: 5/29/2025 5:56:00 AM Hello Mark, Well it hits home, sharp, witty, and real. I laughed at your finger’s digital mischief, then nodded at the wisdom in your restraint. You capture our modern struggle with the urge to fire off words, then the wiser pause. Your humor disarms, but your honesty lingers. Sometimes the bravest act is holding back, letting silence speak louder than any swipe or send. Congrats on POTW! Spring Blessings, My Friend, Daniel Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/29/2025 9:40:00 AM Daniel, I know it pays to walk around the building before responding to a negative email or text. There are two advantages that apply to me, one is that its usually never that big of a deal and the second is that, due to age related factors, I will usually forget what I had intended to say in the first place. Thanks for the visit.

Karen Jones Date: 5/26/2025 4:04:00 PM lol entertaining and funny! Congratulations on potw! Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/29/2025 9:34:00 AM Thanks Karen

Kim Rodrigues Date: 5/26/2025 12:45:00 PM LOL! And the fickle finger of fate gave you POTW! Congrats! Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/29/2025 9:34:00 AM Thanks again, Kim

Panagiota Romios Date: 5/26/2025 4:08:00 AM Best to pass by any poem that offends you. Though with the huge number of poets here,some might inflame you or be chock full of untruths. But then, some News stations reek of lies, far more than poets, Your poem is awesome, congratulations. Live and love, dont let any garbage enter your soul. Hugs, Pangie)))) Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/26/2025 5:48:00 AM Great advice for all…thanks for stopping by, Panagoita Panagiota Romios Date: 5/26/2025 4:13:00 AM Also congratulations of having a book published, Fantastic !! Pangie

Beryl Edmonds Date: 5/26/2025 1:13:00 AM Mark, someone has pressed the button me, not on this site, someone close to home, not a relative, I’m in bits. Congratulations on your wonderful write receiving the honour of poem of the week… Beryl Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/26/2025 5:59:00 AM Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you find the inner strength to deal with it. We are more vulnerable when it comes from someone we trusted and/or loved. Also, too many social media sites make safe harbors for loose tongues, this one included. I love this site and all the people here even though some can be a little more agitating than others…like family. Thanks for the comment.

Tania Kitchin Date: 5/25/2025 7:14:00 PM Mark, a great poem, we should all pause before we impulsively use our universal finger sign or our fingers to impulsively push send. Congratulations on POTW. Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/25/2025 7:47:00 PM Thank you, Tania

Brandy Nicole Date: 5/25/2025 6:28:00 PM ' the press of a button initiates flame. ' So true, and the damage has been done, once those words are shared. Even though this holds humor, there's so much truth within. It's best to think before you speak, type and post for all to see. This is deep and powerful writing, Mark. Congratulations on Poem of the Week. My best to you. Hugs, Brandy Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/25/2025 7:47:00 PM Thanks Brandy

Kim Rodrigues Date: 5/24/2025 7:59:00 AM You’ve said this so well, Mark! We all use one finger or another to make our point! We must not tighten them into a fist. We fight them…fold them. Hugs! Fave! Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/24/2025 9:38:00 AM Poets, and writers in general, are extremely sensitive folks. When it does happen, we need to reflect, and know it’s mostly internal hurt that’s striking out. We are all seeking approval, but hang ourselves out there for critique…and sometimes it’s not what we expected nor wanted to hear. It’s ironic.

Sand Blown Date: 5/23/2025 5:19:00 PM your 'air-oars' row the poetic boat...... len Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/24/2025 3:28:00 PM Thanks for stopping by. I love the wit.

Tom Woody Date: 5/23/2025 8:43:00 AM Who knew you had such a great sense of humor? Hey, we're all prone to error. Still, we stay in the game. Write on... Login to Reply Mark Massey Date: 5/23/2025 3:32:00 PM No chance it will sell, I don’t promote it. It was a personal quest, inspired by Craig Cornish. It’s listed at the lowest cost so I could have it in book form…my only cost is the base price of the book. I can also buy them cheap in bulk to give away. Any poet can put their collection together in book form. So easy to do on Kindle Direct. Tom Woody Date: 5/23/2025 12:32:00 PM Hope they sell for you. Poetry books are hard sells to begin with and you're niche makes for a smaller audience yet. That having been said, it might appeal to vets and historians. Mark Massey Date: 5/23/2025 11:36:00 AM Hey Tom, I’ll get off this high horse and back to my usual, shortly. But in response, I’m more the smarta** than comedian, but I appreciate your euphemism. I’m reminded of that by my wife so often that I’m fairly certain she’s right. Also, I doubt I’ll be posting the usual sonnets anytime soon (maybe, maybe not). I just completed my book and posted it on Amazon, “The Wars That Made Us”, It’s really three shorter books combined- all heroic crown of crowns - 633 original sonnets, took almost 7 yrs to complete. So, I may be done for a while. I’m still allowed to make edits so I’m reworking the heroic crown, “Normandy”. Thanks for stopping by today.