I wrote this a few days ago, and wasn't sure I would post it here. Poetry is not really my thing, though I used to think it was, back in my teens. Maybe it still isn't, but here's this anyway.
Two Definitions
A century and more ago
Consumption was a disease
It’s a form of the word consume
To use up
To eat
To waste
In Latin, the syllables con – sumere
Break down to mean
“With taking”
Young people sick with consumption
Were said to burn brightly
Inspiring Victorian beauty standards
The model of white womanhood
Thinness
Pale, transparent skin
The rosy cheeks of fever flush
They died young.
Today
Consumption is a disease that’s spreading
We’re beautiful
We’re well-fed
As we burn through
Our habitat
Cruising down oil-paved streets
To fill our free parking spots
Friday, April 14, 2017
A Poem for These Days, This America
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1 comment:
I very much enjoyed the poem, nice imagery. I wonder if today's kids even really learn about consumption as a disease, though I remember it well from many characters I read about in my teens.
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