short deep poems

Diatribe

Eyes bereft of
All feeling,
Standing woodenly at a podium
Denigrating human beings —
Blithe devaluation —
They choose to live in squalor,
Culture of poverty.
Same old story,
Proposing to replace
Meager,
Subsistence assistance with
Nothing.
Rail against compassion —
Programs haven’t worked,
Complete failure,
Spotty results at best.
No new ideas,
The same heartless diatribe,
Let them fend for themselves.

Get the Poetry Collection
Unconventional Being - Minimalist Poetry Book by Guy Farmer

Readers around the world have found pieces of themselves in these poems. Discover the collection.

Get Your Copy on Amazon

Live to Prey

Projecting hatreds,
Insecurities onto others,
Twisting words into
Rapiers,
Eviscerating the
Most vulnerable,
Stalking the defenseless,
Grinding their faces
Into the dirt,
A self-satisfied smile
Oozing self-righteousness,
Decency perverted.
Band-aid on a
Festering wound,
Live to prey
Another day.

Cost of Living

Peering through
The department store window
At clothes she’ll
Never own.
Figures sneering inside,
Watch the door,
Keep her out,
What could she possibly
Want in here, such a bother,
Why doesn’t she go home?
The car she lives in
Is parked a few blocks away,
No gas in the tank,
No transportation, no job,
Sorry about that,
Cost of living, you know.

Stress

Stress, stress,
Everybody feels it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody hates it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody talks about it.
Stress, stress,
Everybody perpetuates it.
Stress, stress,
A lovely pastime.
Stress, stress,
What else would we talk about?
Stress, stress.

Answer

Mind racing, head breaking,
Trying to find an answer,
Any answer. Programmed to
Believe in anything but me,
Directed to forego self.

Don’t trust yourself. Keep it to
Yourself. You don’t really matter.
Only we matter. Voices of reason
Tying my hands and muffling my
Being. Not myself.

Mind racing, head breaking.
Trying to find an answer,
My answer, unadulterated.

Dog-Eat-Dog

It’s been this way
For so long that they
Don’t even think twice
About what happens to
The people they
Offhandedly discard.

Try to talk to them
About fairness or
Compassion, they’ll
Proclaim it’s a dog-eat-dog
World and you have to
Fight for what’s yours.

A profane melee over
Material wealth and
Superficial status,
Someone always loses –
Left in ruin while
Nobody sheds a tear.

Why the Decision Was Made

Why the decision was made
Is beyond his understanding,
Only able to see
What he presently knows,
Not realizing that
There are things
He does not yet grasp
That affect determinations
Made regarding what he does,
Not because of malice,
Personal whim, or caprice,
But rather something else
He will, hopefully,
One day comprehend.

To Be Seen

Look at me, look at me.
I want to be seen, I want to be seen.
Here’s my cat, here’s my cat.
I’m drinking coffee, I’m drinking coffee.
I’m so down, I’m so down.
I’m so up, I’m so up.
Message me, message me.
Talk to me, talk to me.
Are you there? Are you there?
I’m here, I’m here.
Look at me, look at me.

The Only Thing

Accolades don’t matter,
Winning isn’t important,
The university you attend or
What you own is
Completely meaningless,
Hollow constructs
Devised and promoted by
Scared, empty people.
The only thing that
Will every help you
Find bliss in life
Is to look within,
Do what you love,
Do your best, and
Love yourself and others.