As the century turned the uprising began.
Newly fair to compare every woman and man.
With flatter-proof pants and tiny work boots,
the haircuts grew shorter, some down to the roots!
Yet tradition survived in the marital sense
where the man was the means to the dollars and cents.
Oh, the promises made by the big open book,
but so many forgotten or grandly mistook.
“I’ll tend to your dinner, and forever my love
will be the envy of all men and Heaven above.
I am eager to please, if the walls did have eyes
they would never be witness to weak compromise”
So blissful the years, they would sail by so fast
until that wonderful day, “I’m pregnant, at last!”
Then the steed, the provider, the desirous man
greeted at night with “I don’t think that I can.”
And pathetically thinking tomorrow will change,
confused at the spectrum her feelings would range.
Then nine months he sulks for the balls that are blue
Saying, "It's all about baby," she replies “That is true.”
And from that moment on the man plays a sad game.
Fills a bowl with blue marbles and he empties the same
to a similar bowl when romantically pleased.
He would even count one every time he was teased.
At the end of a year he would empty the first
and what he collected will transfer in reverse.
As the baby gets older and she wanders about
The man is resigned that he’ll never run out.
Author notes
For the woman, the man is a means: the end is always the child. -Friedrich Nietzsche-
A contest entry
- Nietzsche Quote Prompt Contest by Mercury Rising.
850 points, ended May 15, 10 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Try Your Hardest... Because It Is really hard to do with me. by SheWasPreternatural.
797 points, ended May 31, 18 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Make the curmudgeon smile by MichaelLeeSmyth.
700 points, ended June 22, 20 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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This is a very well constructed and sustained elaboration of the chosen quote. A worthy gold winner. Deserves more commentary plaudits than received so far.
I note you haven't categorized it at all. If and when you do, you should include both humor and pain, on the "hurts when I laugh" basis. I'd call it clever light verse.
Nice phrase: "the spectrum her feelings would range".
A few small rhythm wrinkles, but none that's a speedbump.
The penultimate line appears to say that the offspring is a girl. Perhaps that's just to imply that the Man of the house has to face being outnumbered for a long time. Is it also a hint of a suggestion about Nature, that her real purpose in the marital system is to produce more females? lol.
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And that's the way the fire blazes.....slowing to ember with no recollection of how to fan it into flame.
Peace
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An extremely well-crafted piece of poetry and a very clever and original take on the quote prompt. Best of luck in my contest, and thanks for entering.
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Thanks, David...this was a fun one to write. I'm glad it translated well.
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