The Death of the English Language

A nonsense poem about the changing way our language is used and how it seems to reply on common phrases with little imagination...

 

It’s a  world of paradoxical illusion,

Of sound bites and metaphors and sports commentary speeches

Where  mirror is truth and reality  reflection

Where smoke exists without fire

And mossy stones are still.

 

Where people in glass houses

Throwing stones far out of mind

Are tipping out the babies

Milking cows and being kind.

 

Where a trading jack is master

Counting eggs beneath his bush

Placing them in separate baskets

Taking so much time to rush.

 

Where early worms play catch

With two birds and a stone

And a hard man is good to find

Darlin’ give the dog a bone.

 

Where skinny cats burn bridges

And stitch their times at nine

As young dogs trick the camel

To walk through eyes so fine.

 

Where spoiled cooks and chiefs

Dare tread angelic heads

And eat from yellow snowballs

While burning in their beds.

 

Where horses offer gifts

And come goes up and down

The tangled webs are woven

Over seas where fishes drown.

 

Where children swallow silver spoons

Made stronger as they die

And Job just cannot wait

To dip his finger in the pies.

 

So just before I go

My flies are all timed out

But lifes a funny old game you know,

You know, like, you know what I mean like, you know…

 

 

 

Reviews

[Drifting Blue]

I love the nonsense, nursery rhyme feel of this. Some good lines:
Where mirror is truth and reality reflection

Where smoke exists without fire

And mossy stones are still

Where skinny cats burn bridges

And stitch their times at nine

As young dogs trick the camel

To walk through eyes so fine

The only snag for me is the first stanza written in free verse while the rest has a structured rhyme scheme. One of your best lines is in that stanza though. I can see what you were doing and it ties well with the ending, but, I'm still not sure if you shouldn't rhyme there. Good work though. You have talent, no doubt about it.

[D. L. Vaccaro]

I liked the use of cliches in the piece, but it didn't sound or read as a nursery rhyme at all to me. Just like a pretty standard 4 line-stanza poem about an interesting topic. I liked it, but i don't understand the other reviewers interpretation.

[Jason Henry]

the utilization of the nursery rhyme and its style made this poem excellent...very good write! i literally laughed out loud in that last line!

[Laura E. Aranda]

OMG this was really really a fun imaginative read
I liked the nursery rhymes placed in there
It was really cool
I enjoyed this fresh treat.
Good luck in the contest

[Mr Whiskers]

Practical genius, and like Drifting Blue said- the nursery rhyme feel is a good one.
Good luck in the contest!

[Kaela Craven]

I love it.
Just love it.