Poetry

By

Guy Farmer

Scrutiny

Repeating the same

Stale story yet again;

We could be talking about

Things that actually matter

Rather than pretending

Worn yarns do anything but

Postpone self-reflection.

Confidentialies unrevealed,

A lifetime spent elaborately

Avoiding delicate situations that

Expose you to scrutiny and what

You think will be certain ridicule.

Squandered opportunities for

Genuine connection.

Day after superficial day

Filled with mundane tasks and

One-dimensional relationships.

A tired ruse you’ve hid behind

And does you no favors

Except for ensuring you exist

In near-total isolation.

Self-Centered

He was the one nobody liked

In grade school; the child who

Was strangely brittle and made

People uncomfortable in ways

They couldn’t describe but

Felt viscerally when they

Crossed his path, the malcontent

Who imposes his immediate

Needs on everyone without

Ever thinking about what it

Might do to them and who

One day grows up to dictate

What he wants to large groups

Of drones who serve as unwitting

Guinea pigs in his arbitrary

Search for worth and meaning.

Predictably, he fancies himself

Misunderstood rather than

Profoundly self-centered.

Guy Farmer

Guy Farmer’s poetry examines people’s frailties, foibles and triumphs and how they interact with themselves and others. He enjoys exploring hurt and brokenness, not to dwell in it, but because he believes human beings have the innate ability to heal and build a more compassionate world. Guy has a Bachelor in English and a Masters in Social Work. He worked in family services for ten years; as a consultant specializing in non-profit management; and as a coach and corporate trainer helping leaders and organizations build kinder workplaces.

Visit him online at socialjusticepoetry.com and poemsandpoetryblog.com where he publishes his own poetry as well as the work of thoughtful poets worldwide.