Can You Breathe
Lawrence S. Pertillar 1947 (Connecticut)
Whew!
OooOohhh.
Say,
Can you breathe?
With these fumes,
In the air!
Leaving,
The atmosphere...
Everywhere.
Full of bluffed up stuff.
Staying there!
OH...
When,
Will this...
Stench be enough to resist.
By those thought,
Powerless to insist.
This mess dumped they will stop!
Or...
Will humanity,
Ignore the farts.
For what they're done.
And...
For who they are!
'Hey?
Waving that flag of defeat?
You believe does what to prove?'
'We are ready and prepared to negotiate!'
'Negotiate?
For what?
Cleaner and better air to breathe?'
'Well...
At least the smell,
Will begin to clear our eyes.
So we can identify with certainty,
If those fumes,
Are natural or organically created!
'I don't believe this.
What?'
'Think about it.
Isn't sulfuric acid,
A product naturally produced.
And a compound that comes from Earth?'
'Okay!
So...
What are you saying?'
'I'm saying,
If they 'think' they have defeated us.
And...
We pretend we are surrendering.
Maybe, just maybe...
They will be patient enough,
To discuss with us...
Their diets.'
'And then what?
Share together a more meaningful way,
How to use their farts for profit?!'
'I'm only suggesting,
The fumes we suspect to come from them.
Could be a misunderstanding!'
'We are here for one purpose.
And one purpose only.
To use our weapons.
Remember...
The taxpayers will not find any of this,
Amusing.
If our fighting each other,
Had been our discovery...
Was a nonstopping gas.
Expelled naturally from Earth!
Do you have any idea at all,
How crazy that sounds?'
'I said,
It was a suggestion!'
'Okay.
Now,
Explain to the taxpayers...
Why a welcoming of defeat,
Is deserving of a parade for heros!
Then also explain,
How our action taken...
To discover,
Sulfuric acid...
Naturally pooped.
From the butt of Earth.
Is of benefit to their future.'
'Whew.
I didn't bring my cellphone.
And the signal,
From both our laptops.
No longer works.
Why are you pointing your weapon at me?'
'Have you heard of 'friendly fire'?
That,
The people will believe has happened.'
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Written on March 09, 2024
Submitted by lpahtillah on March 09, 2024
- 2:16 min read
- 2 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | Abcdef gxfhf bxijxjxxkclMx cnx o opd qqxker ip xrxs Cxg gtMgkhtx pcp gxg tkxuigukxsxx xl Cxxnxxlurxsu Axxxxk uxm |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 2,011 |
Words | 449 |
Stanzas | 18 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 5, 13, 3, 1, 3, 6, 2, 4, 3, 8, 3, 3, 12, 2, 12, 6, 3 |
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"Can You Breathe" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/182116/can-you-breathe>.
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