Get Your Premium Membership

Read Stinking Poems Online

NextLast
 

By George burn hing hard, I Shaw tried to be a stinking playwright

By George (burn hing* hard), I Shaw tried to be a stinking playwright

offers his unsolicited tidbits 
as scene courtesy 
the following virtually 
staged philosophical insight.

Arch back like 
a professional ballet dancer 
to stand out from other pedestrian applicants 
seeking to fill my well-worn shoes 
that fit my little feet.

Illuminate your soul 
via modest communication 
sans toe tilly tubular sole full insight 
acquired thru being apprenticed 
with storied prestigious law firm 
of Anne Culle, Achilles Heale, 
and Marathon Nike.

Keep your nose to the academic grindstone 
despite the temptation 
to appropriate the international family business 
and graduation with supreme accolades 
from one unnamed famous father.

He forsook frivolity per his peers 
in exchange for a stock reputation 
of gentility honesty, and integrity 
despite his humble roots 
as the only male heir 
of a Middle Eastern European 
Jewish mother and father.

They scrimped, saved and sacrificed 
scarce resources to set the stage 
for this scion of well-deserved 
fame and fortune.

Never forget those grandparents 
whose adherence to work their fingers 
to the bone (literally) 
allowed, enabled and provided 
this founding partner 
per the trio of stalwart attorneys 
for the underdogs 
of the World Wide Web. 

Match deeds with credo 
of obedience to the law 
of the land, as epitomized 
by Abraham Lincoln. 

Such obeisance to a democratic dogma 
will be firm stepping-stones 
to engender and kindle with tinder loving care
an Amazon zone of cathartic karma 
from paternal persona.

Such acquiescence toward morals 
of the conscience 
(and remembrance of previous generations 
blood, sweat and tears) 
will serve as intrinsic manna 
for clients to clamor 
like an unstoppable rolling stone 
to seek counsel from one 
whose genuine heartfelt equalitarian demeanor 
a near perfect recipe for satisfaction 
for helping others smooth out 
jagged abutments arising in their lives.

Rather than lecture and command 
with a dictatorial cutthroat reign of terror 
(as casually espoused in “The Prince” 
by Machiavelli), this democratic, 
humanistic, liberal minded 
torchbearer of justice advises 
active listening (as advocated 
by the late Jean Dole, 
my renown mentor 
from Lima, Pennsylvania), 
inculcating intuitive posturing 
toward delivering random acts of kindness.

This includes offer services pro bono 
if an individual, family, municipality, 
et cetera appears copacetic 
yet struggles against insurmountable 
odds from the laugh-in fickle finger of fate.

Exemplify by example of zeal 
for the underdog 
(immersed in some catastrophic series 
of unfortunate events – cue Lemony Snicket) 
that money need not be demanded 
before the welfare of the downtrodden 
(sic – such as the fictitious Harns Family 
from Penn Valley – 
who live among the wealthiest people, 
yet feel like outcasts of Poker Flats) 
from the mere exuberance 
of witnessing an ear to ear 
smile of gratitude.

Rather than be biased, 
inclined to be prejudiced 
based on cursory observations 
of one or many barely clinging 
to the life raft of survival, 
I (as a humble human) 
encourage a relationship of trust 
before casting an indiscriminate eye 
toward those less fortunate 
to live in the lap of luxury.

Luck (or the lack thereof) 
an invisible yet potent additive 
to this mix for those flush 
with disposable income or exiled 
to a hand to mouth hardscrabble dilemma.

Daily acknowledgement for 
ethnic, genetic and quixotic 
dice throw of chance in tandem 
with loving support of immediate 
kith and kin instrumental in keeping 
in check bombastically egotistical, 
haughtily radical degradation 
of fixation of values steeped 
in appreciation of aesthetics, beauty, 
charm, decency, equality 
from gifts hoed inside.

Joyfulness keeps love moving 
needling offset predilections.

Quality rests squarely 
upon the pillars of staying 
within the bounds of service 
to those less able bodied or beset 
with untold obstacles that discourage 
setting virtue (or the closest approximation 
of what that means 
to the inquiring mind) 
as precedent to blaze a trail 
of care and concern.

Always maintain benevolent devotion 
forswearing greediness.

Invoke keepsake mandating 
omnipotent natural personal righteousness 
to vaccinate yourself against 
heinous, nefarious, pernicious, 
et cetera rapacious 
trapdoors of selfishness.

*Hing or heeng is the Hindi word for asafetida (sometimes spelled asafoetida). It's also been known as the devil's dung and stinking gum, as well as asant, food of the gods, jowani badian, hengu, ingu, kayam, and ting. It is a dark brown, resin-like substance that is derived from the root of ferula.

Copyright © Matthew Harris

NextLast



Book: Reflection on the Important Things