The box, the body & the beast
Rows and rows of boxes all spruced and lined up,
Each one has been checked and well-labelled enough.
They shine so invitingly with historical backing,
Each label firmly designated what's under the wrapping.
If you get the right box, or wrangle it somehow,
You're set for life, no questioning what, when or how
You see the boxes were written before you and me,
They've stacked themselves up throughout history.
Some forming newly, some fading fast,
Some are more stalwart and others smash like glass
We must respect that tradition, history and community is upheld,
No risking one wisecracker collapsing the shelves.
To dodge the label, box and the fate that's inside,
Brings about something so transgressive, deemed insidious lies.
Yet, it's not all that bad, there are boxes of plenty
There are ones a bit wacky, not fruitful but steady.
And right in the centre, there is the golden shelf
Among which, your parents strive dearly to place yourself
The problem is that the boxes don't work
One size doesn't fit all and some people are off-curve
Square peg, round hole - something that comes to mind
stranger yet still when there's no peg even to find.
It's a dangerous game to think "outside the box"
The story isn't written that way, you've messed up the plot
No order, no rules, no d*mn compliancy
Get back here this instance and fall in line with us please
But I have a box of my very own making
Not completely original, from many cultures I'm taking
But my box is out there, and it shall remain
Standing proudly alone, ahead of its game
The box is flamboyant and a whirlwind of ideas,
The ups are ecstatic and the downs ablaze than tears
There are phobias of cucumbers, of dogs and sunlight,
Tricks in the box are brimful with delight
Legs behind head, plaited fingers, the lot
It doesn't stop there, physicality is not all you've got.
You're keen, smart, resourceful and you've learnt beyond most
You've seen genius too - melted your brain to toast
Now you don't know if the box is really right
Was it fabricated all along, a trick just to fight
They made you believe that your box was created outside
But with the systems permission, that hardly deserves pride
You look at your box and your look at yourself
You look at your body and the thing inside as well
The are all different parts, some faker than others
they lie side beside, connected like brothers
The most sombre note yet is that one is astray
Despite your beckoning, it's still not here today
He'll check in time-to-time to see the ship's running
But he's not in the body, the box - he's gone running
But you are all three connected, the box, body and beast
When none are united, sheer reality is creased
Play through the motions, you know the box well
You body moves with actions, that's easy to tell
Maybe some day, you'll all be truly united,
Or maybe perhaps this is a hope that's rose-tinted and short-sighted.
AFRIENDOFTINA
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Submitted on September 25, 2016
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:42 min read
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Quick analysis:
Scheme | XX AA BB CC DE XX FX CC GG XX HH XI EX AA XX XX JJ II KK JJ FF GL MM NN AA XD LL OO |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 2,838 |
Words | 515 |
Stanzas | 28 |
Stanza Lengths | 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 |
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"The box, the body & the beast" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/86202/the-box,-the-body-&-the-beast>.
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