The Quiet man

The quiet man

stands alone

(a shadow in waiting)

sips his pint

solipsists blues

(anonymous)

watches the world

from afar (a bar)

the sayer of nays

invisible idol

all alone in a 

crowded room

playing monkey knife fight

in the night, hardwired

technotronic tetrus dreams

he sees the needle

and the damage done

sees behind the catseyes blues

behind the fun/

behind the gun

the quiet man

simmers,

he does not boil

watches the world

waits

assimilates

slowly poaches

in an irn bru

and if and when

he ever shouts

then you are fucked

and you and you and you

and you

do not disturb

do not feed the animals,

ssshhh

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

there are so many in society who are just that close to the edge of insanity...
yes and the slightest disturbance....and bam...it all happens.

and when they ask "what kind of man was he?"
the reply is...."he was a quiet man"
this is so good, gram...
i just like your work so much.
j.

[gram linski]

it's always the quiet ones j. just ask Ed Geins neighbours, it's not the muslim terrorists the U.S. should be wary of, it's the loner at the back of class with a slipknot t shirt and an army coat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

exactly......

[Fay Slimm]

Pictured so well this kind of quietness should have danger written in tall letters on a lapel - - your slow and intriguing exposure does justice to the explosion that comes with a seen afront.......... a wham of a read gram and thanks for the warning.

[gram linski]

No worries, Fay, thanks for the read, they do say the slowest fuse burns brightest, thanks again

[Kay Salisu Titilola]

I read this and I felt it,
I sense the reason for its written.
Quiet doesn't always mean when quietness wants to be quiet, but depression and anxiety or some unpleasant situation could keep a man dump.
But sometimes, people misunderstood this, and address the matter from their point of view.

Well written, Gram.

[gram linski]

Well thanks, Kay thanks for reading, quiet can be louder than loud,

[Robert Trakofler]

I just wrote solipsists in a review yesterday:) boom... mind blown! This reminds me of...oh yes of the quiet man (your title) That slow simmer of disdain can and does indeed erupt dear Gram! as i was saying the quiet man that stockpiles guns and grenades next to his picture of mom holding a vase of dead flowers. My father always warned me not to mess with the quiet ones... my first day I went to a new school (in a tough neighborhood) he said pick a fight with the biggest kid in the schoolyard go for the boisterous one never the quiet, he said even if you lose nobody will ever mess with you again...and he was right:) and i had a black eye to prove it he said nothing that night didn't even ask if i won. And of course i am still friends with him to this day even tho he kicked my a*s and i had to pay for his shirt

[gram linski]

I do like a blown mind, like a blown fuse, burning bright, thanks, B, I'll bet the quiet one went on to commit mass murder/homicide

[Cherrie Palmer]

Yes, they should come with a warning label.

Beware the quiet man that talks not trash or smiles when you punch him. Cause it's a good bet, that man wheels a hammer.

[gram linski]

Thanks Cherrie, a hammer is usually the least of the problems,

[Ted Kniffen]

Yes Gram, it always seems to be the quiet ones...what's that... shush...I've said too much...gone beyond the pale. Let's find a nice bar...me monkey and me will play tetrus...he shines at it...but beware of the needle and the damage done.(good reference to Neil Young here).
There is probably a reason why I don't have a gun.

Good write, Gram...brilliant.
P.S. The quiet Man was a John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara movie from the 60's.

[gram linski]

It certainly was, Ted, great fight scene, probably where I nicked the title from, thanks for reading

[Eilis]

People hide sometimes by being what they are expected to be. Many serial killers have been noted to be upstanding members of their communities. Of course, after they are discovered, people recognize that there were signs, but by then it’s too late.

Back in 1999 when mass shootings were a new phenomenon, the high school near where I lived had a lone gunman come to school a month after the Columbine massacre and open fire on his classmates. Columbine was shocking, and this was shocking. But, at that time I could not have imagined this pattern could continue.

You do well to offer a portrait, Gram. Society always has its scapegoats while those doing real harm are often ignored or excused or simply have the gift of laying low while pressure’s building. Doing nothing or turning our backs isn’t sufficient. I struggle to know what to do. Human nature is such a labyrinth. I wish we could be better at protecting each other.

Excellent topical poem.

[gram linski]

Thanks Eilis I think we all struggle to comprehend that kind of madness, Dunblane is our only serious incident, but they were just children, for f**k's sake, am currently reading helter skelter, about Manson, expect some fucked up poems coming your way

[Eilis]

Yes, that was monstrous there. I thought Sandy Hook might mean something to our government, but nothing seems to be enough. Look forward to reading your new poems.

[andrew mitchell]

Brilliant imagery. Smart and clever writing skills.

[gram linski]

Thanks, Andrew glad you enjoyed it, you should tell my missus I am smart and clever, she doesn't believe me, lol

[Chris Shaw]

An excellent portrait of the quiet loner minding his own business until someone upsets him. Until someone puts a toe over the line and he goes ballistic. There's more of them out there than you think.

Chris

[gram linski]

very true, Chris, as recent events in the States have proven, thank f**k we don't have easy access to guns, we just have a stabbing epidemic,

[Chris Shaw]

Yeah, at least with knives, not as many are killed. Even that is a small mercy in an appalling situation. We live in violent times :(
Happy Sunday :)