Sunday, March 25, 2012

CCLXXXIV - Reflections in a Park

James Rainsford, writing at dVerse, offered the above photo as a prompt.


Reflections in a Park

With firm steps and confident strides
We walk to the beat of the civilized drum;
Feigning control of that which still resides
In the base of what we have now become.

There are two halves to the modern man
Not left and right but the old and the new.
It you venture back to where it began,
You’ll find we’re exhibits, in a common zoo.

Society, as a whole, gets quite distressed
When a member acts in a manner, dire,
But there is a fact that’s seldom addressed:
We are all just animals, in formal attire.

And so we walk through life’s temporal park,
Two creatures, travelling side by side.
The light side ever trying to rein in the dark,
The social Jekyll to evolution’s Mr Hyde.
.
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© 2012   J Cosmo Newbery
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28 comments:

  1. I like this very much. Excellent use of the rhymes which come naturally and are nor forced. The notion of the animal and human is very ingenious and creative. The picture not only gives you a chance to explore the dual nature of the human psyche, but also a chance to question modern society's hypocrisy in this regard. Excellent.

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  2. Impressive! I love it...we are just animals in formal attire. Indeed. And I love how easily and effectively you rhyme.

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  3. dang...this is really well done...and built well...the common zoo...to animals in formal attire to the dr jekyll mr hyde....realy like it...a lot in this one to like...

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  4. Oh I couldn't agree more on this. We are all still animals when it comes right down to it and, how quickly we resort to despicable acts against each other all too quickly show we aren't as civilised as we like to think we are at all.
    Well said!

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  5. great poem on a challenging topic
    we all like to think we've evolved :)

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  6. I like your perspective of man...an animal in a formal attire. And it comes out, one way or other, specially when we have to fight for the spoils ~

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  7. the reflection does have a dr. jekle and mr. hyde feel to it...


    suffocated reflction

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  8. I like this... and couldn't agree more.

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  9. A wonderful reflection of the perspective of man... lovely rhyming as always dear J Cosmo.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  10. Brilliant - and so true, I'm afraid.

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  11. ha..great play on jekyll and hyde...and walking through life's temporal park is a great image which makes us reflect again that we're only on a journey for a certain time...

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  12. An accomplished write, which teases out the duality in both our brief lives and in the reflected image of a man moving through space and time. I love the rhyme structure here. Your words have certainly enhanced and illuminated my photo.
    Thank you.

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  13. That is so great. I so often feel like I'm living in a zoo. And I like what you have on the home page of your blog - life is short so I agree there is no time to be struggling with the word verification thingy. Why would anyone make it so hard to post a comment!!!

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  14. Loved your limerick for Mad Kane. The winner in my opinion.
    Delightfully dirty.

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  15. Great! Very neat and clear. Great sense of rhythm too. Bravo!

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  16. Nice flow and rhyme to this, and you make such a good point--we love to think we're in control.

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  17. Nicely written to the image offered.

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  18. I love how you've taken the reflection in the image and used it to ponder man's duality of nature. Very clever and interesting. Your rhyming is exquisitely done as well. It flows so naturally, not at all forced.

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  19. Cool! I closed my offering with a similar-ish idea. I like your take!

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  20. Loved the Jekyll and Hyde and the drumbeat, incessant. The zoo, yes, that's how the Koch Bros. see us. Your take on this image, innovative and thoughtful. Rhyming A+. So, yeah, WOW. Peace, Amy
    http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/03/25/california-dreamer-dverse/

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  21. Perfect poem for that photo!

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  22. Very nice! I love the way the rhyme feels natural --it adds to the flow--Love the last stanza--

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  23. Nicely done..like taking a walk through your thoughts..I guess we are just chimps in suits (or jeans!) Jae

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  24. This certainly had a nice rhythm to it and it is good to be reminded of who we really are.

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  25. We are all gods creatures - it's just that some of dress and other don't! A delightful poem.

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  26. Love the push and pull between civilized and not. It is a daily struggle ;)

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  27. TigerbriteApril 02, 2012

    Brilliant. Well structured and drew me in. Rhyming gently.

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