The Human Capacity

[Rhapsody]

Inspired by an article on anti-americanism. Very rigidly structured rhyme-scheme. Has a symbolic numbers paradox (7 verses, 13 lines each). Notice 6 sins (instead of 7 deadly ones) and 1 redemptive quality. Took roughly 7 hours to write.

 

The human capacity to forget

is simply to let the mind jetset

while placing a bet

against perception

To drink from the Lethe

is to obliterate reality

Falling forever, uncaught by the safety net

of memory

Or to close our eyes

to what we despise

what disturbs, perturbs

To sever the golden link

Doublethink

 

The human capacity to procrastinate:

Succulent bait bidding us to wait

for fickle Fate

to save us from certain disaster

Tomorrow is a severed phase

Time moves in a blue haze

Serving to sate

our need to laze

Hands on the grandfather clock

Counting down our lives tick-tock

Another chime! Wasting time!

Deadlines are points of no return

A lesson yet unlearned

 

The human capacity to complain

is the ordain to screech our pain

Our petulant refrain

to a deaf world

Daily we whine

at each perceived crime

trying to gain

sympathy or time

Malcontent is man's realm

Ennui at its helm

Whatever bores spawns war

lust, sadism, shameless shams

for our short attention spans

 

The human capacity to consume:

to chew out of the womb and into the tomb

and self-exhume

insectile hunger for future generations

Rabid, we wolf down sanctity with our mutton

Decimating whole species stops not this glutton

Ravenous, we resume

pressing the repeat button

All the world has to give

cannot slake a single id

Stuff your maw! Fill your craw!

Strip Earth of every plant and beast

Come. Feast.

 

The human capacity to conform

sucks each purging storm into a putrid norm

Every soul is forlorn

in a feigning populace

At designer stores we must shop

From high school we must drop

to model for porn

Heroin needles we must swap

In our cliques, sport the same threads

heed the same songs, share the same beds

Isn't my name and yours the same?

Well, at least you're not alone

You clone

 

The human capacity to rationalize

to justify our lies

allows us to terrorize

the truth

Into confusion we sink

We're not wise because we don't think

or we don't think because we're not wise?

Giddy, we totter on the brink

between reason and madness

Here, even gods must guess

In this craze, there is always

a catch. Catch-22.

Got you

 

But the human capacity to wonder

urges me to ponder what exists under

yonder skies that thunder

with echoes of an unheard song

To marvel is to win

Tap into collective consciousness of human kin

To sunder

my soul into yang and yin

The sun I see, vital warmth I feel

Spring I scent, my heart begins to heal

Raise my face, Life I taste

My instincts--primal, pure, raw

In awe

Edited August 23, 2003 by Rhapsody

[SoaringIcarus]

Rhapsody,

 

First of all, this is very well worked. It takes time to digest, and that's good-- there's more for me each time I come back to it. Each stanza is like a vignette. This is very...all-encompasing. I hope you don't have any regrets about spending seven hours on this, because to me, every minute was worth it. Wouldn't it be grand if everyone dedicated so much time to their creations. The poem really comes together in the end, quite nicely. I'm not sure if this was intended or not, which it may very well have been, but the "consume" stanza, tended to be a mouth-full, if read aloud. [Forgive me, father, for I have punned]. But seriously, it seems to halt the flow a little, though I know certain words are absolutely necessary to get the specific meaning across. You might consider reworking that one stanza. As for the rest of it-- spectacular. I look forward to reading more of your work. Really, very nice.

 

-Icarus

[Vlad]

Wow!

This is really good.

I fully believe that the seven hours you spent were well worth it.

The rhythym flows very smothly. At first I thought it would be choppy because the lines are so varied in lenght, but I'm glad to be wrong.

The end ties it all together very well, and I'd love to read more of your work.

[Parmenion]

This is the kind or piece that would be "The Masterpiece" of a poet's collection. Inspired! There are so many couplets I enjoyed...

 

"Hands on the grandfather clock

Counting down our lives tick-tock"

 

"lust, sadism, shameless shams

for our short attention spans"

 

(loved the alliteration here - really draws attention to the point!)

 

"Strip Earth of every plant and beast

Come. Feast."

 

(potrays humanity as a huge gobbling machine for me - nicey!)

 

"Into confusion we sink

I'm not wise because I don't think

or I don't think because I'm not wise?"

 

"Raise my face, Life I taste

My instincts--primal, pure raw

In awe"

 

These in particular punched home the brutality of being human in a way that is balanced at the end but left me with a feeling that we are perhaps not responsible for our ill-points for we ourselves are just another force of nature but with purpose and dutytowards the planet. My mind did wander and I got a lot from this poem! I must read it again in a month or two to see what it says to me then.

 

Bravo!

[Merelas]

Wow... the time spent on this was definately, supremely worth it.

 

At the end, it gives our free will credit... Gives me a feeling of relief, that even though we may do wrong, our conscious, and our ability to think is still something that we can do right.

 

Extremely well written, a quality of work to aspire to.

 

Well done! Encore!

[Justin Silverblade]

I'd pour out words of praise, for this poem certainly deserves it, but I can think of none worthy. I loved this poem very much. And I'm glad I stopped by to take a read. I think you've got a real treasure here, Rhapsody. Certainly worth the time spent, and worth a great deal of appreciation, if you ask me.

 

Very well done, thank you for sharing! Sorry I haven't written more about it, there is certainly a lot that one could talk about with this. Very thankful for having read it.

 

- Justin

[Sorciere]

Such a flow, crafted beautifully and the words used just drag you further into it. Very well done, more than worth the time spent on it in my opinion.