to Hive being
welcome
What is Hive Being, and Why the Name?
You have likely heard talk of a hive mind, where one global mind finds more or less figurative expression in various local minds. Such talk is common enough in nature documentaries, especially ones concerning ants or bees, and in sci-fi programs. Take that notion, at least a loose version of it, and broaden its scope. That will be a decent first step in understanding the title I have chosen both for my Blog and for the first five-volume installment of my magnum opus Made For You and Me, a fragmentary collection of minimalist stanzas from 2016 to 2020.
In alignment with Spinoza (the 17th Century Rationalist to whom I devoted my doctoral studies), I view reality in its totality as a grand hive Being: all entities are but pulsating manifestations of the buckstopping fount of everything, an ultimate being we might call “God” or “Nature” (so long as, out of respect for the capital “G” and the capital “N,” we limit it neither to some anthropomorphic cloud father hurling lightning bolts nor to mere wilderness untouched by human smog). According to the hive-Being view (where reality is one lone superorganism, a monistic—and we might even say unividualist—conception I defend in both my creative and academic capacities), each non-foundational being (each being, that is, whose essence does not involve existence) is an utterly necessitated expression or eruption or exudation of this eternal source—each is, perhaps better put, a mode or manner of being, and so a focal point through which is disclosed, what classical theists sometimes call “being itself” (ipsum esse subsistens): the realness of the real, the being of whatever may be, the sheer activity of being, the very isness of whatever is. This Blog, which duplicates my Substack, throbs as but one among many literary unfurlings of this self-necessitated foundation, this supreme wellspring, of which we—like black holes and broken beliefs, like fractal ferns and flickering flames—are the inevitable stylings.
My Journey
I am an academic who found himself pressured into early retirement by the rising tides of cancel culture. The illiberal scourge of censoring, silencing, and shaming—although always with us throughout our evolution—reached a local peak around 2021. That was the turbulent year my creative pursuits, which the old left once encouraged as a healthy outlet for the stresses of a childhood steeped in poverty and illiteracy, drew the ire of the new safe-space left. A small cadre of self-proclaimed victims and their allies, several of whom continue to berate me years later under pseudonyms as see through as their sexual infatuation, sought to erase me and my heterodoxy. They found support from a wannabe-woke dean, covered in the grand inquisitor robes of our decadent modernity (full-body tattoos) and just itching to signal his commitment to protecting “vulnerable populations” from triggering material (even if just, as it was in my case, off-duty poems “unbecoming for someone calling himself a teacher”). Although I eventually won my due-process case with the help of The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, I slunk away from a college that turned its back on protecting freedom of expression and from an institution increasingly intolerant of intellectual diversity.
The wrecking ball to my too-comfy office in the windowless ivory tower came with a silver lining. From the ashes of my professional aspirations rose a phoenix of increased freedom to fulfill the literary calling I have pursued for decades. Reputation concerns never stopped me, even within academia’s sterile halls of conformity. Indeed, my unapologetic defiance, which has long baffled friends and family, no doubt chummed even safe waters—almost as if I were asking for it all along—until the cancel shiver grew too frenzied to hold back its blind thrashings. But now, now I piston the most forbidden territories of human thought with no longer even a twinge of conscience. The newfound freedom means extra time to hone my craft. When not assisting special-needs communities (a day job far more rewarding than freeway-flyer drudgeries), I pursue my literary mission with Dionysian fervor.
Call for Co-Conspirators
This space, my digital sanctuary, showcases the fruits of my mission. Think of my posts, even those linking to my publications, as works in progress. I want your input, unflinching brutality included. Each post begins with an invitation to action: “Let’s workshop this [draft about x, y, z].” Your contributions, whether through public comments or my contact page, help hammer scraps of ore into polished blades fit for magazine publication.
Your input is valuable, even if you are neither a writer nor a reader of literature—twin disciplines dying by the cyber nanosecond. Sometimes—even if at the risk of uttering banalities—an outsider’s fresh vantage can pierce the veils of convention to reveal what insiders miss. It often takes an outsider to make us even think to question our ingrained presuppositions and attitudes. I stand by the hygienic value of contagion. That is one reason I advocate so strongly for intellectual diversity and freedom of expression. And that is also one reason I was so harrowed by the anti-diversity swell of cancel culture in academia (an institution that should be the utmost caretaker of such values)—harrowed especially insofar as that swell masqueraded under the gaslighting guise of “diversity”).
You will witness the breathing evolution of my writings over time. To track these changes, I label each revision by round: “ROUND 2,” ROUND 3,” and so forth. Each piece undergoes continuous refinement based on your feedback and my own revisitations. Sometimes changes will mar the work. That is the risk of creative tinkering as a finite creature. I hope you will alert me to missteps. After many semesters of university writing workshops, one rule has impressed itself upon me: when someone senses a flaw, something almost always needs to change—even if, yes, the proposed solution misses the mark (which often it does). From a quick look into the archives, accessible here, you can see how much I have benefited from your feedback so far.
My Hope
Sharing drafts can be daunting. But showing you the ravaged and unperfumed real deal unfiltered by makeup (stuttering starts and falsities, awkward line breaks and clumsy word choices, grammatical errors and misspellings)—that not only makes my work more relatable, but helps me refine things through your input. I hope the unfiltered look at the raw process of fumbling, rather than just the polished product, also helps other writers develop their craft. Imperfect works often instruct more than perfect ones: whereas the perfect ones tend to have a grace by which they slip inside us without activating our scrutiny, the imperfect ones—especially the near perfect ones—show us glaringly what not to do.
People laugh at me, seeing—in my tilting at the windmills of literary excellence—a Don Quixote clunking around in Arthurian armor in a post-knight era. I am not naïve. I am well aware of the diminishing ability to read, let alone well: slowly and deeply, with gratitude. I am also aware that my style, which often nests subpoints within larger points, never waters down virtuosity for the sake of mass appeal. I watch readers stumble over my sentences, unable to unlock even just the music of the envelope let alone the semantic meat within, which—given my tendency to flashlight through the darker facets of human nature (the addicts, the miscreants, the abusers among us)—only adds an additional alienating layer of difficulty). Beholding these depressive scenes of even supportive family members getting bucked off my syntactic bronco makes me feel like a dinosaur who should get a hint and, if not succumb to the brain rot of skibidi-toilet speak, just hang himself already. Even though the decline in linguistic background and grammatical voltage makes my compositions seem quixotic in a world binging Netflix and TikTok, I persist—raging against the dying of the light—by some internal compulsion to celebrate the richness of language and thought.
My hope is that, despite social media’s unparalleled power to farm our attention, people never forget the unique power of writing. Beyond unveiling hypocrisy, teasing out complex implications, and detailing the commonalities between even the most alien phenomena, writing offers something we need today—trapped in agoraphobic cyber bubbles only thickened by the Lyme dangers of forests and the COVID dangers of cities—perhaps more than ever. Granting us rich access to the first-person perspectives of others (to how things feel to them), writing serves as one of humanity’s best tools for combating loneliness. It allows us to linger, broadly and deeply and at high resolution, within the inner lives of others in a way that other arts can only suggest.
What to Expect
My work spans a broad spectrum: from metaphysical discourses on free will and determinism and the ontology of holes to the ephemera of western culture (whether the childhood impacts of the hypersexual mono-image of black woman as squirting twerkers or Terrence Howard’s sham revolution of mathematics). Some tight and minimal, others free-flowing sprawls; some heady and abstract, others emotional and imagistic—my inkwell musings, which often blend scholarly rigor with a dark humor from both high and low culture, aim to capture the visceral intensity of our personal and social and ultimately existential predicaments.
By no means can I deny that drug abuse, sexual assault, and the tales of the broken and the damned loom large in the tag cloud of my work. My writing will never be a paradise of easy truths and comforting lies. It will challenge you, provoke you, and at times even repulse you. I offer no apologies for the monsters I unleash. They are as much a part of us, at long root scared rodent mammals scurrying in the shadows of dinosaurs, as our noblest aspirations.
But make no mistake. It is not all downer darkness. The archives are my receipts. You will find pieces exploring the pursuit of authenticity in a media-saturated world, the search for meaning in an indifferent cosmos, and the celebration of beauty in both the sublime and the profane. I locate much of my inspiration, in fact, in novelists like Dostoevsky and poets like Ted Kooser—writers unafraid to pursue moral agendas or risk Hallmark sentimentality in an age that often sneers at sincerity.
Be they satirical dissections of modern social dynamics or poignant poems about addiction or academic articles on moral responsibility, my goal is to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and foster meaningful dialogue. Fear has not and will not stop me from challenging humanity’s fundamental taboos (like bestiality and cannibalism) or self-reflecting into the dark chaos of the subconscious, even if that means exposing the Jungian shadows—the inner Goebbels—lurking within us all!
Expect posts each day, no day missed. Donations are welcome, but I impose no paywall: it feels wrong to charge for art, especially given our date with obliteration. Feel free to explore what amounts to, at the time of writing this, close to a thousand pieces of poetry and prose here. That should give you a sense of what awaits.
Join me—specula holstered—on this literary odyssey into the public and private nooks of the hive Being. Let us navigate the labyrinth of creation together, confronting our demons and even slaying our darlings if we must. Let us dance on the razor’s edge between the sublime and the profane in pursuit of an elusive literary perfection never to be confused—as it has been confused in our declining civilization—with the pursuit of popularity or likeability over truth.
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Posts
michaelistvan.com (live, test run)
Please take a look at my developing website: michaelistvan.com, which you can get to as well via: safespacepress.com. I really appreciate your help. You can find a convenient sitemap here: michaelistvan.com/credits-acknowledgements-sitemap. Please check out my site and let me know if there are any bugs. It is still in draft form and needs a lot of work, but I would appreciate knowing if there any crucial problems with it.
RE: Lotery Grandprize Millon
RE: Lotery Grandprize Millon presents a layered critique of societal vulnerability to deception, blending humor with an underlying sadness that emerges from the modern age's predatory systems. The title itself—a misspelled version of a scam email subject—perfectly sets the tone, signaling a world where the obviousness of deceit is overlooked by those desperate for validation or hope. The poem draws sharp parallels between two exploitative schemes: OnlyFans targeting the young and email lottery fraud targeting the elderly, thus showing how different forms of exploitation prey upon the fragile desires of both age groups.
The first stanza focuses on the world of OnlyFans, where young women—lured by promises of quick fame or fortune—often find themselves commodifying their bodies online. The line "barely legal / OnlyFans debut!" highlights the predatory nature of the platform, with its appeal to a "barely legal" audience, emphasizing the exploitation of youth and the fragile state of being thrust into adulthood with little foresight. The phrase "bagged by such DMs" not only captures how these young individuals are enticed by predatory messaging but also suggests their passive victimhood, entrapped by systems promising quick success.
In contrast, the second half of the poem shifts to focus on the elderly, specifically "gray widowers," who are equally vulnerable to another kind of digital manipulation: email lottery scams. The poem humorously yet tragically describes how these elderly men fall prey to schemes like the one referenced in the poem's title, where scam emails with broken grammar ("Dear Winner Luky") offer the illusion of financial salvation. The vivid image of these men shuffling out to obtain a "SMALL proces fee moneys order" reflects a deep desperation and the almost tragic hopefulness with which they pursue this illusion. The misspelling in the title and email highlights how glaring red flags—such as grammatical errors—are often ignored by those so desperate for relief from loneliness or financial instability.
The poem juxtaposes these two scenarios—youthful exploitation on OnlyFans and elderly deception by scammers—to illustrate a shared vulnerability across age groups. Both the young and the elderly are exploited by the digital age’s promises of quick solutions to deep-seated human desires, whether it’s fame, money, or validation. By weaving together these two forms of manipulation, the poem creates a broader commentary on society’s tendency to prey on the weak, whether young or old, using different techniques but with similar devastating results.
In its tone, the poem blends dark humor with a sharp critique of the systems that facilitate these scams. The casual cruelty of the OnlyFans world—where youth are reduced to objects of consumption—and the almost absurd vulnerability of the elderly—who fall for obvious scams—reflect how deeply predatory mechanisms have woven themselves into modern life. The humor in the poem's closing lines, where "widowers shuffle out" to get their money orders, underscores the tragedy of how the most vulnerable in society are often the easiest to deceive.
Ultimately, RE: Lotery Grandprize Millon draws attention to the universality of exploitation in the digital age, where individuals—whether young or old—are equally susceptible to manipulation. The poem serves as a reminder of the human cost of living in a world where quick gains, false promises, and digital illusions dominate our sense of reality, leaving many, regardless of age, vulnerable to deceit.
digital scams, OnlyFans exploitation, email lottery fraud, elderly vulnerability, youth manipulation, societal critique, digital age deception, human desires, predatory systems, scam culture.
White Supremacy on Its Deathbed
"White Supremacy on Its Deathbed" is a bold and confrontational work that challenges the mainstream antiracist movement and its implications for black empowerment. Through a mix of lyrical prose, scholarly critique, satire, and polemic, the author seeks to expose the paradoxical harms inflicted by well-intentioned but misguided efforts to dismantle white supremacy.
The book argues that the contemporary antiracist movement, exemplified by figures like Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi, promotes an ideology that, while purporting to empower black Americans, ultimately infantilizes and debilitates them. This movement, according to the author, fosters a narrative of perpetual victimhood and helplessness among black people, which reinforces negative stereotypes and undermines genuine progress. By insisting on the omnipresence of white supremacy in every aspect of society—from everyday interactions to cultural and intellectual achievements—the antiracist movement inadvertently perpetuates the very divisions it seeks to eliminate.
The author critiques the tendency to attribute all disparities in health, education, and crime to systemic racism, while dismissing the role of personal responsibility and cultural factors. This approach, the book contends, not only demoralizes black individuals by suggesting that their fate is entirely dictated by external forces but also fuels racial tensions by framing white people as inherently oppressive and black people as inherently oppressed.
One of the central theses is that the antiracist movement's focus on symbolic gestures and emotional catharsis, rather than practical solutions, fails to address the root causes of inequality. The book criticizes the movement for promoting a form of racial essentialism that mirrors the very racism it opposes, creating racial affinity groups and encouraging a hyper-awareness of racial identity that can lead to further segregation and mistrust.
The book also delves into the economic and social incentives that drive the racism-training industry. It argues that this industry profits from sensationalizing race issues and fostering a culture of fear and division, thereby ensuring a constant demand for its services. The author suggests that this dynamic not only distracts from substantive policy discussions but also perpetuates a cycle of dependency and resentment.
Throughout the book, the author uses a combination of personal anecdotes, historical analysis, and cultural critique to make the case that the current approach to antiracism is counterproductive. By portraying black Americans as fragile and in need of constant protection, the movement undermines their agency and dignity. The author advocates for a shift towards a more empowering narrative that emphasizes resilience, personal responsibility, and a commitment to universal principles of merit and equality.
In essence, "White Supremacy on Its Deathbed" challenges readers to reconsider the dominant narratives around race and to recognize the complex, often unintended consequences of well-meaning but ultimately flawed antiracist strategies. It calls for a more nuanced and constructive approach to addressing racial disparities, one that respects the individuality and capability of black Americans while fostering genuine dialogue and understanding across racial lines.
Expat Painter in Prague
"Expat Painter in Prague" delves into themes of sexual violation and artistic obsession, using the figure of a painter as a metaphor for control, exploitation, and detachment. The poem begins with a chilling statement: "He took her without consent," indicating an act of sexual violence or coercion. The phrase "all giggles below his balcony" introduces a contrast between the lightheartedness or naivety of the victim and the sinister actions of the perpetrator. The juxtaposition of this carefree image with the violent act above underscores the predator-prey dynamic, where the woman is oblivious to the danger.
The "café girls" sitting in the "iron seat" evoke an atmosphere of everyday life in a European city like Prague, but the casualness of the setting contrasts sharply with the violation occurring. The painter’s "oil strokes," described as "reviving native unclinicality," point to an artistic style that becomes increasingly untamed and uncontrolled, much like his predatory impulses. The mention of "feral" suggests that his artistic endeavors are no longer about capturing beauty or truth but are driven by base, primal desires that overwhelm his ability to objectively represent his subjects.
The poem further suggests that his growing inability to "siphon details from new sitters" reflects his emotional detachment or inability to see the humanity of those he paints, reducing them to mere objects. Even the presence of a "neon fob of mace"—a symbol of modern self-defense against violence—offers little protection, as it is reduced to a decorative "flamingo" against the stark, unyielding backdrop of "weathered cobble." This emphasizes the futility of resistance in the face of someone who wields control both physically and artistically. The poem speaks to themes of power, control, and the exploitation of the vulnerable, using the painter as a symbol for how art can be complicit in these dynamics of violation and objectification.
Keywords: sexual violence, artistic obsession, power dynamics, exploitation, emotional detachment, predator-prey metaphor, vulnerability, objectification, violation, European city setting.
An Olive Branch to the Cancelers
**An Olive Branch to the Cancelers** is a nuanced and provocative essay that addresses the complex interplay between free expression and the impulse to cancel unsettling art and ideas. The essay seeks to empathize with those who believe in canceling problematic content while proposing a solution that honors both the value of free expression and the dangers it can pose.
The essay begins by acknowledging that even the most well-intentioned cancelers of divergent art and thought, those who believe they are protecting vulnerable groups, have a point. They genuinely feel that their actions are just, even if they resort to extreme measures like censoring, shaming, and destroying the careers of artists and thinkers. This perspective is driven by a belief that unsettling art and ideas can cause real harm to certain groups, and that any length of cruelty against creators is justified to protect these groups.
The essay then delves into the genuine risks posed by artists and thinkers. These individuals hold up a mirror to society, revealing uncomfortable truths and challenging cherished beliefs. The reflections they present can be deeply unsettling, leading to crises of identity and belonging. Art and thought can expose the fragility of human existence, the inherent cruelty in our actions, and the disturbing realities of the universe. For many, facing these truths is intolerable, leading to a desire to suppress and cancel the sources of such discomfort.
The author illustrates how the immune systems of those who cannot digest these dangerous truths often protect them through mechanisms like ignorance, ridicule, and evasion. However, there are exceptions—individuals whose defenses are too weak to block out these truths, leading to significant psychological harm. The canceling impulse is thus seen as a reasonable response to protect these vulnerable individuals.
Despite acknowledging the validity of canceling impulses, the essay also argues that these dangers are often overblown. It highlights the resilience of most people to withstand unsettling art and ideas, suggesting that exposure to such content can foster growth and resilience. The essay contends that the widespread fear of art and thought is often performative and driven by a desire for power and control rather than genuine vulnerability.
The author proposes a radical solution: instead of restricting artists and thinkers from creating, restrict the audience from accessing their work. This gatekeeping approach would involve testing and vetting individuals to determine their ability to handle potentially triggering content. The aim is to protect both the creators and the vulnerable individuals, ensuring that only those with the requisite resilience and critical acumen can engage with challenging art and ideas.
The essay suggests that this approach would not only safeguard artistic expression but also elevate the respect for art and thought. By requiring individuals to prove their worthiness to access certain content, society would foster a deeper appreciation for the value and power of art and thought. The proposal is admittedly extreme and satirical, born out of frustration with the current cancel culture, but it aims to spur discussion on balancing free expression with the need to protect vulnerable individuals.
In the concluding section, the author clarifies that the gatekeeping solution is not an ideal in itself but a tactical response to the rampant censorship and cancel culture. While the author personally leans towards open discourse and the cultivation of emotional resilience, the essay emphasizes the need to counter the performative outrage of cancelers by taking their claims seriously and restricting their access to unsettling content. The proposal serves as a rhetorical jujitsu, flipping the script on cancel culture and exposing its performative nature.
**An Olive Branch to the Cancelers** is a thought-provoking essay that seeks to bridge the gap between free-expression advocates and cancelers. It highlights the genuine dangers posed by unsettling art and ideas while proposing a controversial solution to protect both creators and vulnerable individuals. The essay ultimately calls for a nuanced approach to preserving and celebrating artistic expression while minimizing its potential harm.
Subway Restraint
"Subway Restraint" is an intense, visceral exploration of societal frustrations and the psychological balancing act of restraint versus violent release. Set within the confined, pressurized environment of a subway train, the poem delves into a surreal confrontation where an individual grapples with the mounting desire to break free from both physical entrapment and societal constraints. The speaker teeters on the edge of violent action, contemplating using a concealed weapon to lash out against a chaotic mob led by a "fanatic" obstructing the train doors. This tension becomes a metaphor for the speaker’s internal struggle against social pressures, personal impotence, and the need to maintain control when everything around them invites destruction.
The focus on the weaponry—specifically the "Urban Pal" pocket dagger and later the bear mace—serves as a tangible representation of both the speaker’s desire for self-defense and the underlying rage bubbling beneath the surface. The blade, described with cold practicality, and the bear mace, with its detailed specifications, embody the readiness for violence, suggesting that the speaker is far from indifferent to the consequences of their actions but is fully aware of the calculated nature of their thoughts. This awareness becomes both a tool of restraint and an incitement toward the catharsis of violence.
Social commentary permeates the poem as it critiques modern ideological movements, mob mentality, and institutional failure. The mob’s chants of “No! One! Gets! Off!” and the racial dynamics introduced through the description of the officer’s paralysis in the face of escalating tension reveal the broader social context within which this personal drama plays out. The speaker’s dark reflections on race, media-fueled hysteria, and the moral manipulation of protests add a layer of critique about contemporary societal dysfunction. Through this, the poem engages with the themes of systemic breakdown and individual powerlessness.
Furthermore, the imagery of violence and the meticulous attention to tools of harm highlight the conflict between impulse and control. The subway becomes a crucible where patience, fury, and desire for action clash, with the speaker’s struggle for self-restraint serving as an allegory for the broader societal struggle to contain its most destructive instincts. The poem critiques the notion of “reasonable” behavior in an unreasonable world, suggesting that true power lies not in unchecked action but in the strategic release of violence, only when it can serve the speaker’s interests in a more calculated and perhaps morally justified way. This layered exploration of personal and social violence culminates in an imagined moment of catharsis, where chaos reigns supreme but remains deeply rooted in the speaker’s control.
psychological restraint, mob mentality, subway violence, urban chaos, social critique, calculated aggression, weaponized patience, societal breakdown, racial dynamics, systemic dysfunction, personal agency, catharsis, urban environment.
Upstart 1996
"Upstart 1996" delves into the juxtaposition between the dream of stardom and the gritty realities of daily life, particularly as experienced in the small, cramped spaces of a New York City apartment. The figure of the stardom-dreamer, clad in black tights and heavily applied perfume (the era-evoking CK One), symbolizes youthful ambition and an effort to create an image of glamour and sophistication. However, the poem quickly undermines this projection by placing her in a dingy, banal bathroom, a stark reminder of the grounding forces that weigh down even the loftiest dreams. The details of the bathroom—such as the toothpaste-splattered mirror too small to reflect her fully, and the cracked, groaning infrastructure—serve as a metaphor for the fragmentation of her idealized self-image. The bathroom, an intimate yet unglamorous setting, becomes the stage where the harshness of reality and the mundanity of life collide with her aspirations.
The poem’s rich sensory imagery emphasizes the contrast between the dreamer’s vision of herself and the world she inhabits. The cracked tile, cast-iron pipe, and roach trap evoke a sense of decay and neglect, contrasting sharply with the aspirational glamour suggested by the smokey eye shadow and perfume. This tension between desire and reality is further highlighted by the items strewn about the bathroom: the Bic razor, a symbol of practicality and the maintenance of appearances, and the audaciously stained panties and Monistat tube, which point to the raw and unfiltered aspects of her bodily existence. The image of a legless panhandler on the Z train, who knows her by name, reinforces the sense of shared struggle and disillusionment in the urban environment.
The poem effectively captures the atmosphere of 1990s New York, a time and place often romanticized for its gritty yet vibrant artistic scene. The stardom-dreamer’s studio, located within a dilapidated prewar building, embodies the tension between the allure of artistic rebellion and the often harsh, unsentimental realities that accompany it. The Z train, a symbol of the city's ceaseless movement and anonymity, provides a backdrop of urban grit and resilience, reflecting the broader theme of navigating the space between aspiration and survival. In this way, "Upstart 1996" reflects on the struggle to maintain a sense of self and ambition in the face of overwhelming banality, the dreamer’s performative glamour barely concealing the rawness of her experience.
1990s New York, stardom dreams, urban decay, youthful ambition, artistic struggle, CK One, urban reality, studio life, juxtaposition, daily existence, unglamorous reality, fragmented self-image.
The Tooth
The Tooth presents a raw, visceral portrayal of a strained father-son relationship, shaped by addiction, violence, and a quest for validation. The poem is divided into three sections, each depicting different moments of emotional manipulation, cruel humor, and desperation, where the son—both victim and instigator—comes to terms with his father’s self-destructive behavior while grappling with his own emerging sense of identity and power.
The first section introduces the father’s addictions, presenting them as a backdrop to the son’s childhood. The father’s "oral fixation" manifests in chain-smoking and excessive drinking, both of which the son observes with a mixture of frustration and fascination. The vivid imagery of the father’s substance abuse—Newport 100s lit in succession, cases of Natural Ice consumed daily—sets the tone for the chaotic and dysfunctional dynamic between father and son. The son’s response is initially one of rebellion, expressed through pranks that, although humorous on the surface, hint at a deeper desire for control and revenge against a father who has repeatedly broken promises to quit drinking. The pranks evolve from lighthearted actions like throwing bologna on his sleeping father to darker, more demeaning acts, such as drawing a clown face on him while unconscious. This escalation mirrors the son’s increasing frustration with his father’s inability to change, as well as his own growing thirst for power over the man who once held authority in his life.
The second section delves deeper into the psychological complexity of their relationship. The son uses emotional manipulation to toy with his father’s guilt, constructing false narratives of abuse in order to provoke a reaction. The son’s performance, laden with after-school-special-style dialogue, showcases the depth of his cunning as he exploits his father’s drunken state. The father, despite his inebriation, is drawn in by the son’s fabricated stories, falling into a state of protective rage, sobbing and threatening to kill the imaginary abuser. This scene is both tragic and darkly comedic, as the father’s genuine concern is met with the son’s insincere playacting. The son’s need to provoke an emotional response from his father reveals a deeper longing for attention and validation, even if it means manipulating the man who is already emotionally fragile. The son’s fabricated accusations of "love games" reflect the blurred boundaries between affection, manipulation, and violence that characterize their relationship.
In the final section, the poem reaches its climax with the father’s self-inflicted tooth extraction. The scene is charged with a sense of masochistic pride as the father, goaded by his son’s taunts, proves his love and paternity by pulling out his own molar with a pair of linesman pliers. The son’s manipulation in this moment is both calculated and cruel, as he questions his father’s identity and challenges him to prove his worth. The father’s response—“If I love ya!”—is both a declaration of affection and a submission to the son’s power, as he mutilates himself to affirm his paternal role. The violent act of tooth-pulling becomes a grotesque metaphor for the father’s desperation to hold onto his place in his son’s life, even at the cost of physical pain and humiliation. The linoleum splattered with blood serves as a stark visual representation of the emotional carnage that has been building throughout the poem.
Throughout The Tooth, the son’s relationship with his father is marked by a complex interplay of love, resentment, and power. The son’s pranks and manipulations are not merely acts of rebellion but expressions of a deeper desire for control in a world where the father’s addictions and failures have rendered him powerless. The father, in turn, is portrayed as a tragic figure, both complicit in his own downfall and desperate for his son’s approval, even if it means self-destruction. The poem captures the cyclical nature of their dysfunction, where love is intertwined with cruelty, and validation is sought through pain. The repeated phrase, "If I love ya," underscores the father’s desperate need to prove his worth through extreme actions, while the son’s calculated manipulation reveals his growing understanding of the power dynamics at play.
Ultimately, The Tooth offers a stark commentary on the complexities of familial relationships, where love is often expressed through violence, manipulation, and self-sacrifice. The poem’s visceral imagery and dark humor amplify the emotional intensity of the father-son dynamic, leaving the reader to grapple with the unsettling nature of their bond.
father-son relationship, addiction, manipulation, self-destruction, power dynamics, oral fixation, familial dysfunction, emotional manipulation, tooth-pulling, dark humor, violence, paternal love, visceral imagery.
Photograph of Woman Who Fell off Her Bike
"Photograph of Woman Who Fell off Her Bike" critiques the dynamics of power, manipulation, and sacrifice in a relationship framed by artistic ambition. Jacques-Henri, likely a reference to the French photographer Jacques-Henri Lartigue, uses his wife not only as a subject for his photography but also as an instrument of his creative process. The poem opens with the wife’s enthusiastic support for her husband’s genius, but this enthusiasm is steeped in her understanding that his art always takes precedence. Her excitement about the bike ride is tempered by the knowledge that it is not a moment for shared leisure but a professional opportunity for Jacques-Henri, who brings his camera “only from habit.” This detail highlights the husband’s detachment from the experience of bonding with his wife, as his creative drive eclipses the personal connection.
The moment when she falls off her bike introduces vulnerability and potential critique. The wife anticipates judgment, bracing herself for his likely lecture about her lack of skill or preparation. Her preemptive groaning and explanation underscore the fear of criticism that defines their relationship. However, Jacques-Henri's response is not focused on her well-being but rather on preserving the aesthetic moment. His sole concern lies in "getting the shot," objectifying her through his lens. By making her reenact the fall for the camera, he strips the event of its personal and emotional reality, reducing his wife to a tool for his artistic vision. The poem captures the wife’s internalization of this dynamic, as she is "happy to oblige," finding solace in the fact that she was not scolded. This acceptance illustrates the depth of her submission and the asymmetry in their relationship, where her value is tied to her utility in advancing his creative endeavors.
"Photograph of a Woman Who Fell off Her Bike" examines the dynamics of artistic obsession and gendered labor, exploring how male genius is often sustained by the sacrifices of women. The poem critiques the erasure of autonomy in the service of art.
power dynamics, artistic ambition, submission, objectification, photography, manipulation, relationship imbalance, creative process, gender roles, vulnerability in marriage.
A Goonie (like Lady Bunny)
The piece titled "A Goonie (like Lady Bunny)" engages with the complex intersections of radical individualism, social taboos, and the contemporary culture wars. Drawing inspiration from controversial figures like Georges Bataille and the Marquis de Sade, the author constructs a persona who champions an eclectic set of beliefs and practices, ranging from miscegenation and crossdressing to more extreme behaviors such as cannibalism and zoophilia. This persona is framed as an unapologetic opponent of societal norms, particularly those that the persona views as hypocritical—such as the consumption of certain animals while condemning others, or the harvesting of plant life while decrying the use of animal byproducts.
The piece further explores the persona's war against what he perceives as the "safe-space ethos" pervasive in contemporary culture, particularly in the context of cancel culture, censorship, and the suppression of dissenting views. The persona criticizes the anti-Nietzschean tendencies of modern society, where intellectual and artistic freedom is curtailed in the name of protecting sensitivities. This critique extends to the policies of HR and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) departments, which the persona sees as reinforcing this ethos beyond the theoretical level.
Interestingly, the persona's alignment against cancel culture and safe-space mentality brings him into uncomfortable proximity with right-wing figures who, despite sharing his disdain for censorship, harbor regressive views on issues like gender identity and body positivity. The piece highlights the irony of this entanglement, as the persona finds himself allied with those who mock trans and fat people, despite his own advocacy for freedom from societal norms. The tension between the persona's radical libertarianism and the bigotry of some of his allies underscores the complexity and contradictions inherent in the modern discourse on freedom, identity, and social justice.
radical individualism, cancel culture, censorship, social taboos, Nietzschean critique, safe-space ethos, Bataille, de Sade, trans rights, fat shaming, identity politics, social justice, DEI, cultural hypocrisy.
Lyrics to "Groveville Taste"
In the lyrics to "Groveville Taste," the speaker navigates the tumultuous landscape of a relationship marked by betrayal, mistrust, and the darker facets of human connection. The refrain, "Now a queen's a queen and a stunt is a stunt, you can tell who's who by the things they want," establishes a dichotomy between genuine affection and manipulative self-interest, framing the ensuing narrative of disillusionment. The verses vividly depict the speaker’s descent into a toxic relationship, characterized by drug use, infidelity, and a blurred line between love and lust. The speaker reflects on the emotional and psychological toll this relationship takes, including the damaging impact it has on his sense of self and his responsibilities as a father. The raw and explicit language, detailing sexual encounters and violent altercations, emphasizes the intensity of the speaker's experiences, conveying a sense of chaos and moral ambiguity.
The lyrics also explore themes of codependency and self-destruction, as the speaker acknowledges his own complicity in the relationship's dysfunction. Despite recognizing the warning signs and the degradation of his partner's character, he remains entangled in a cycle of desire and regret. The narrative culminates in a sense of resignation, as the speaker contemplates the futility of trying to salvage something meaningful from a relationship so steeped in deceit and exploitation. The repeated refrain serves as a stark reminder of the fundamental differences between the speaker and his partner, underscoring the inevitable collapse of their relationship.
Ultimately, "Groveville Taste" presents a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a relationship gone awry, where the pursuit of pleasure and the need for validation lead to a path of emotional ruin. The lyrics offer a commentary on the complexities of love and the ways in which individuals can become trapped in destructive patterns, unable to break free from the very dynamics that harm them.
Groveville Taste lyrics, toxic relationship, betrayal and mistrust, emotional ruin, codependency, raw and explicit language, love and lust, relationship dynamics, dark journey, disillusionment, destructive patterns, M. A. Istvan Jr., hip-hop storytelling, gritty narrative, relationship turmoil.
Niagara Falls
In this poem, M. A. Istvan Jr. navigates the unsettling terrain of suspicion, moral uncertainty, and the tension between perception and reality. The poem unfolds as a tense narrative, where the speaker and their companion observe what they believe to be a potential predator trailing two young girls at Niagara Falls. The language, punctuated by phrases like "g*ope their breasts" and "reach up one of their dresses," evokes a visceral unease, capturing the intense scrutiny of the observers as they grapple with their own fears and judgments. The poem's setting—a public space like Niagara Falls, filled with tourists and cameras—heightens the irony of the situation, as the "creep" appears to be filming scenes already ubiquitous online, yet his actions are perceived as menacing and predatory.
The narrative tension is further amplified by the bystanders' internal conflict, where they question their own courage, wondering if they would have the "balls to do anything" if the situation escalated. Their hesitation is not just about physical confrontation but also about the moral implications of acting on assumptions. The poem captures this psychological struggle, where the fear of inaction is weighed against the fear of overreaction.
Istvan skillfully subverts expectations when the girl finally approaches the man. The bystanders, poised to intervene, are met with an anticlimax as the man simply hands the girl a coin for the binoculars. The reader is left to grapple with the ambiguity of the situation—was the man truly a threat, or were the observers projecting their anxieties onto an innocent scene? The image of "tight jeans we picture c*m crusted" reveals the extent to which the bystanders' imaginations have been tainted by their fears, turning a mundane interaction into something sinister.
The poem serves as a commentary on the ease with which suspicion can warp perception, leading to misjudgment and moral paralysis. Istvan leaves the reader with a sense of unease, not only about the characters within the poem but also about our own tendencies to jump to conclusions based on incomplete or biased information. "Niagara Falls" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of human judgment, the thin line between vigilance and paranoia, and the often-overlooked consequences of our assumptions.
M. A. Istvan Jr., Niagara Falls poem, moral uncertainty, human perception, vigilance vs. paranoia, predatory behavior, suspicion and reality, psychological tension, bystander effect, projection of fears, judgment and misjudgment, poetic exploration, complex human behavior.
Even on Dawns Less Spectacular
In "Even on Dawns Less Spectacular," M. A. Istvan Jr. presents a poignant, unflinching portrayal of the mundane struggles and indignities of daily life through the lens of a working-class man. The poem opens with a vivid image of the protagonist's disheveled state, evoking the exhaustion and disarray of pre-dawn rituals. The shuffling of bed slippers across a worn hardwood floor sets the tone for a morning routine marked by a palpable sense of weariness.
The protagonist’s head, "burrowed into blue-collar forearms," highlights his physical and emotional fatigue, while his "hypotenusal lean" against the toilet cabinet emphasizes the awkwardness and discomfort of his position. Istvan's attention to detail captures the raw authenticity of the scene, where the man's closed eyes signify a desperate attempt to cling to the remnants of sleep amidst the demands of waking life.
As the man rolls his hips, his careful movements betray the intimate, unglamorous reality of his bodily functions. The transition from "liquid on liquid sounds" to the silence that follows signifies the cessation of urination, a mundane act that the poem elevates to a moment of introspection. This act, though ordinary, is rendered with a delicate touch that underscores the protagonist's vulnerability.
The stubborn insistence on completing the flow, despite the body's natural resistance, symbolizes the man's broader struggle against the constraints of his existence. His dribble-stained path back to the bedroom carpet, a trail of daily drudgery, speaks to the relentlessness of his routine. The man’s return to bed, where he turns away from the brightening dawn, captures his resignation to the day ahead.
The saffron stains on the mattress, which "grow" even on less spectacular dawns, represent the physical traces of his struggle. These stains, blamed on his wife during their monthly end-for-end flipping of the mattress, reflect a deeper undercurrent of denial and displacement. The protagonist’s adamant refusal to accept responsibility for the stains, insisting that he "never pissed it," underscores his need to maintain some semblance of dignity and control in a life that often feels uncontrollable and degrading.
Istvan’s poem is a study in the interplay between the mundane and the profound, where everyday acts are imbued with existential weight. "Even on Dawns Less Spectacular" delves into themes of weariness, denial, and the relentless passage of time, offering a raw, empathetic glimpse into the life of a man navigating the quiet battles of daily existence.
M. A. Istvan Jr., Even on Dawns Less Spectacular, daily struggles, working-class life, mundane routines, existential reflections, bodily functions, weariness, denial, passage of time, raw authenticity, poetic portrayal, blue-collar forearms, morning rituals, intimate vulnerability.
Coke Lessons
In "Coke Lessons," M. A. Istvan Jr. delves into the dichotomy of drug-induced euphoria and the subsequent disillusionment, reflecting on how initial ecstasy devolves into a cycle of craving and regret. The poem begins with the protagonist's memory of his first experience with cocaine, marked by an overwhelming sense of euphoria and philosophical expansiveness that seemed permanent and untainted by the inevitable comedown. This initial high is described as a "new dilation of ecstasy," a metaphor suggesting an opening up to new dimensions of feeling and thought, which at the time appeared immune to the passage of time or change.
Years later, the protagonist finds himself understanding his friend's earlier reservations during their shared experience. The friend, despite indulging in the drug, was already aware of the impending crash, a mixture of craving for more and a foretaste of the "grinding-bitter comedown." The protagonist now empathizes with this perspective, recognizing that the anticipation of the low diminishes the purity of the high, an awareness that he couldn't comprehend during his first encounter.
The poem shifts to a present moment where the protagonist, now a seasoned user, finds himself in the company of a newbie. The newbie's enthusiasm and naive confessions—ranging from incestuous thoughts to gay thoughts—during their drug-induced bonding reveal the raw vulnerability and disorientation that come with the first rush of cocaine. The protagonist feels a deep sense of unease, knowing the cycle of regret and self-disgust that awaits the newbie, evident in the hurried flipping of records mid-song and the unrestrained giving of gifts that will soon be regretted.
This unease grows as the night progresses into dawn, with the newbie making desperate phone calls to people from his past, illustrating the isolating and desperate nature of addiction. The protagonist feels trapped, sickened by the dependency on an unreliable euphoria that is "fake, unnatural." The questioning of this artificial ecstasy versus natural joy culminates in a profound moment of introspection. The protagonist wonders why the chemical-induced happiness should be considered any less real than the joy derived from significant life events, such as the birth of a child. This philosophical quandary underscores the poem's exploration of the nature of happiness and the human condition's susceptibility to both natural and artificial stimuli.
"Coke Lessons" is a powerful narrative that juxtaposes the fleeting euphoria of drug use with the lasting consequences of addiction. Through vivid imagery and reflective introspection, Istvan captures the tragic arc from initial thrill to inevitable despair, highlighting the complex interplay between temporary ecstasy and enduring regret.
M. A. Istvan Jr., Coke Lessons, cocaine addiction, euphoria, comedown, drug-induced ecstasy, addiction regret, philosophical reflection, fleeting happiness, enduring disillusionment, human condition, drug experience, vivid imagery, introspective poem, nature of happiness.
Istvan Verse on "Beacon Speaks"
In the poem "Beacon Speaks," M. A. Istvan Jr. and collaborators explore the enduring influence of Beacon, a city in New York's Hudson Valley, on its former residents. Through various voices and perspectives, the poem captures the complexities of identity, memory, and the struggle to rise above one's origins while still being inevitably shaped by them. The chorus sections emphasize the lasting impact of Beacon's culture and environment on those who have left, while the verses delve into personal experiences and the gritty realities of life in and around Beacon.
The poem opens with a chorus that sets the stage for the exploration of Beacon's influence, noting how even those who have "made it out on top" carry traces of their past: "bad teeth, self-doubt, slang, even our bop." This establishes a theme of inescapable heritage, where one's origins continue to speak through their current selves, often in ways that are subtly discernible to others.
Istvan's verse delves into the specific social dynamics and characters of Beacon, painting a vivid picture of life in the city. He describes the allure of "hoodrats" and the chaotic scenes of black preggos, acrylic-nail scratches, and blunt-rolling alley cats. This verse highlights the cyclical nature of life in Beacon, where even those who leave are drawn back to familiar environments and relationships, often fraught with dysfunction and struggle. The scene is raw, filled with blunt-rolling alley cats and Baby Phat-wearing women. The struggle is palpable—child support dodges, cracked 40 Miller drafts, and chaotic confrontations. These characters are deeply entrenched in a cycle that seems impossible to break, highlighting the relentless grip of their environment.
The second chorus shifts the focus to those who have given up certain vices but still carry emotional and psychological scars: "teary eyes, rage-outs, fear, even our cocks." This section underscores the pervasive sense of incompleteness and the lingering effects of past behaviors and experiences.
The third chorus extends the theme of being perceived as "off" by others due to past behaviors and associations, this time focusing on the physical and social markers that set former Beacon residents apart: "crooked grills, distrust, dress, even jump shots." The refrain reinforces the idea that the influence of one's origins is pervasive and recognizable, affecting how they are received in new environments.
The fourth chorus addresses those who have sought philosophical or spiritual insights, noting how even such pursuits are colored by their past: "drug abuse, con ways, stress, even our ox." This section suggests that no matter how far one moves intellectually or spiritually, the influence of one's background persists.
Overall, "Beacon Speaks" is a powerful exploration of the inescapable influence of one's origins. It captures the enduring mark of a place on its people, illustrating how past environments and experiences continue to shape identities and perceptions. Through vivid imagery and personal narratives, the poem delves into themes of identity, struggle, and the complex relationship between one's past and present.
M. A. Istvan Jr., Beacon Speaks, poem, identity, struggle, Beacon NY, addiction, personal narrative, cultural influence, memory, community, past and present, literary exploration, social dynamics, lyrical poetry, urban life, Hudson Valley.
Kennedy Fried Chicken
"Kennedy Fried Chicken" by Michael Anthony Istvan Jr. captures the intricate dance between survival and parenthood within an urban setting. The poem delves into the life of a corner dealer, a figure deeply entrenched in the city’s gritty reality. His attempt to maintain a semblance of normalcy and connection with his child is depicted against the backdrop of his illicit activities. The opening lines introduce us to the dealer, who, despite his circumstances, tries to assure himself of his presence in his child’s life. The mention of "his ex in her phone" suggests a fragmented relationship, emphasizing the isolation that often accompanies such a lifestyle. The act of lifting his child high and inquiring about his behavior is a fleeting attempt at normalcy, a brief moment of connection amidst the chaos.
Istvan’s use of vivid imagery paints a stark picture of the dealer’s world. The constant need for vigilance is highlighted by his sweeping gaze for cops among the "nonstop horns." This vigilance is not just a part of his professional life but also intrudes into his personal moments, creating a tension between his role as a father and his need for survival. The dealer’s eye constantly scanning for threats underscores the persistent danger in his environment, detracting from his ability to fully engage with his child.
The poem’s structure and enjambment emphasize the fragmentation of the dealer’s existence. Lines like "in that window / of lifting him high" illustrate the brief, transient nature of his interactions with his child. These moments are overshadowed by the external pressures that define his life. The presence of a client, "hands in jean pockets, edging closer," serves as a reminder of the inescapable demands of his trade, constantly intruding upon personal interactions.
Istvan’s portrayal of the urban environment is both vivid and oppressive. The "nonstop horns" create a backdrop of constant noise and activity, reflecting the relentless pace of the dealer’s life. This setting amplifies the tension between his desire to be a good father and the realities of his circumstances. The client’s approach, subtle yet inevitable, symbolizes the persistent encroachment of his illicit activities on his personal life.
In "Kennedy Fried Chicken," Istvan masterfully captures the duality of the dealer’s existence. His struggle to balance his illicit livelihood with his parental responsibilities is depicted with sensitivity and depth. The poem highlights the inherent conflict in trying to maintain personal connections while navigating a life fraught with danger and uncertainty. Through its concise yet powerful imagery, the poem offers a poignant reflection on the challenges of parenthood within the context of urban survival, underscoring the dealer’s perpetual state of alertness and the fleeting nature of his moments of connection with his child.
urban survival, fatherhood, corner dealer, illicit activities, parenthood challenges, urban environment, constant vigilance, fleeting moments, personal connection, external pressures, gritty reality, Michael Anthony Istvan Jr., poetry, vivid imagery, urban life, dealer’s dual existence, parental responsibilities, urban setting, tension, survival, parental connection.
Rainbow Flags
"Rainbow Flags" is a compact yet evocative poem that juxtaposes the sinister with the celebratory, creating a striking commentary on contemporary culture and identity. Through vivid imagery and unexpected associations, the poem explores themes of transformation, subversion, and the influence of substances on self-expression.
The poem opens with a provocative comparison between Pazuzu, a demon from ancient Mesopotamian mythology often associated with possession and chaos, and Crystal Meth, a powerful and destructive drug. This pairing sets the tone for the rest of the poem, suggesting a descent into altered states of being. The line "Pazuzu will have you / speaking Latin" evokes the idea of possession, as Latin is traditionally associated with exorcisms and the Catholic Church. It hints at an unsettling transformation, where the self is overtaken by an external force.
In contrast, Crystal Meth's influence is depicted through the imagery of a crop-top tank top and vibrant self-expression. The tank top, described as "purple," semaphores "drum-and-bass pulses," alluding to the energetic and often frenetic atmosphere of dance and rave cultures. This imagery captures the drug's effect on individuals, heightening their senses and altering their behaviors in ways that are both liberating and destructive.
The poem's setting shifts to a main strip leading to a university, a place typically associated with learning and intellectual growth. However, the presence of "horns dopplering" suggests a chaotic and perhaps celebratory environment, reminiscent of a parade or a festival. This contrasts with the traditional academic setting, highlighting a clash between conventional norms and subversive forms of expression.
The final lines introduce a striking image of "cheilitis lips" holding a "steel referee whistle." Cheilitis, an inflammation of the lips often caused by environmental factors or substance abuse, adds a layer of physical consequence to the poem's themes. The steel referee whistle, an object of authority and control, ironically in the possession of someone in a state of altered consciousness, underscores the poem's exploration of power dynamics and the unexpected ways in which they manifest.
"Rainbow Flags" uses its compact form to pack a powerful punch, blending elements of the sinister and the celebratory to comment on contemporary issues of identity, self-expression, and the transformative effects of substances. The poem's vivid and often jarring imagery invites readers to reflect on the complexities of these themes, leaving a lasting impression with its sharp contrasts and rich symbolism.
Foster Home at Five
"Foster Home at Five" is a deeply moving narrative that delves into the traumatic and transformative experience of a young child placed in foster care during a tumultuous period of parental conflict. The story is recounted with vivid, sensory detail, capturing the confusion, fear, and resilience of a five-year-old boy navigating an incomprehensible situation. Through the child's eyes, we see a world that is both mundane and surreal, where everyday objects and interactions take on heightened significance against the backdrop of familial disruption.
The narrative begins with the child's attempt to stay awake at his grandmother's kitchen table, a symbolic representation of his struggle to remain grounded amid the chaos of his parents' custody battle. The rainy gray outside mirrors the internal turmoil of the child's life, characterized by yelling, crying, and the instability of moving between different homes and environments. This setting establishes a tone of disorientation and helplessness that permeates the story.
The father's unexpected appearance in a suit, a departure from his usual attire, adds to the child's sense of unreality. The father's emotional vulnerability, expressed through his tearful eyes and the tender gesture of carrying the child to the couch, contrasts sharply with the cold, procedural nature of the foster care system that soon intervenes. The father's promise to get the child back "soon" underscores a sense of urgency and desperation, highlighting the father's impotence in the face of legal decisions.
As the child is taken away by the social worker, the narrative shifts to the sensory and emotional experiences of the journey. The social worker's attempt to engage the child with offers of McDonald's serves as a stark juxtaposition to the child's inner turmoil. The child's refusal to eat reflects his emotional withdrawal and guardedness, a coping mechanism that resurfaces later in his interactions with a family violence counselor. This guardedness is a recurring theme, suggesting a long-standing pattern of self-protection in response to trauma.
The description of the foster home, with its lively atmosphere and numerous children, provides a brief respite from the child's anxiety. The interactions with other children, particularly the empathetic gesture of the little black boy offering his corndog, highlight moments of human connection and kindness amid the broader context of displacement and uncertainty. These interactions also underscore the child's sense of isolation, as he struggles to engage with his new environment while grappling with the loss of his family.
The narrative's most poignant moments occur during the child's visits to city hall, where he reunites briefly with his parents. These visits are marked by a profound sense of transience and impermanence, as the child clings to familiar objects like his teddy bear and absorbs the emotional atmosphere of the brief encounters. The child's internalization of these visits, coupled with his eventual acclimation to the foster home, illustrates the adaptive resilience of children even in the face of profound instability.
The climactic moment of the story occurs when the child, mistaken in his belief that he has been forgotten, chases after the foster family's van in a panic. This scene encapsulates the child's deep-seated fear of abandonment and his desperate need for reassurance. The foster father's calm explanation that they were merely going to the supermarket provides a moment of relief, but it also underscores the persistent anxiety that shadows the child's experience.
The narrative concludes with the child's return home, marked by a mixture of joy and lingering apprehension. The child's game of blinking to "cut" power lines with the car's antennae symbolizes his attempt to exert control over an unpredictable world. The final interaction with the social worker and the crying black girl serves as a poignant reminder of the shared suffering and resilience of children within the foster care system. The child's unspoken urge to console the girl reflects his emerging empathy, tempered by the realization that her journey may not mirror his own.
"Foster Home at Five" is a powerful exploration of childhood trauma, resilience, and the complexities of the foster care system. The narrative's rich sensory detail and emotional depth provide a compelling window into the child's inner world, revealing the enduring impact of early experiences on one's sense of self and belonging. Through the child's perspective, the story captures the vulnerability and strength of those navigating the uncertain terrain of familial disruption and institutional care.
Father and Son
"Father and Son" poignantly captures the cyclical nature of parental anxiety and the ways in which it manifests across generations. The poem begins with a personal anecdote from the speaker's childhood, set during Halloween—a time typically associated with joy and indulgence. However, for the young narrator, it becomes an occasion of fear and meticulous scrutiny. Haunted by the thought of malicious adults inserting razorblades and poison into Halloween treats, the child meticulously examines and discards most of his candy. This act of self-protection, driven by media-fueled fears, highlights the vulnerability and paranoia that can overshadow childhood innocence.
The narrative then shifts to the present, where the speaker's own son exhibits a similar, albeit different, form of anxiety. The son's fear revolves around the school environment and the potential punishment of having the lights turned off during lunch if the students are too noisy. This punishment, although seemingly minor compared to the life-threatening dangers imagined by the speaker as a child, is significant in the child's mind. The son's earnest plea to avoid packing crunchy celery, which might provoke the teacher's rebuke, mirrors the father's own childhood vigilance.
Through the juxtaposition of these two scenarios, the poem explores the theme of inherited fears and the protective instincts that parents pass down to their children. The reference to the Halloween memory arising at the son's anxious request underscores the connection between past and present, suggesting that the speaker's early experiences of fear and caution have influenced his understanding of his son's worries.
The poem also subtly critiques the ways in which societal and environmental factors shape children's anxieties. The son's concern about the teacher's reaction points to a broader commentary on disciplinary practices in schools and the pressures placed on children to conform to behavioral expectations. This modern-day anxiety, although different in nature from the speaker's Halloween fear, reflects the ongoing struggle to navigate and manage perceived threats in everyday life.
"Father and Son" uses these personal experiences to illustrate the continuity of anxiety and the protective measures that both parents and children employ. The careful inspection of Halloween candy and the avoidance of crunchy snacks in lunchboxes serve as metaphors for the broader efforts to shield oneself from harm. The poem invites readers to reflect on their own childhood fears and the ways in which they may have been influenced by their parents' concerns, as well as how they, in turn, address the anxieties of the next generation.
Ultimately, the poem underscores the bond between parent and child through shared experiences of fear and caution. It suggests that while the specific nature of these anxieties may change over time, the underlying desire to protect and ensure safety remains a constant, connecting generations through the simple yet profound act of caring for one another.
Daily Affirmations for a Campus Warrior
In "Daily Affirmations for a Campus Warrior," the author presents a satirical take on contemporary campus culture, particularly focusing on the extreme sensitivity and self-righteousness perceived among some student activists. The poem, dedicated to Margaret Atwood, critiques the modern phenomena of trigger warnings, safe spaces, and the cancel culture prevalent in academic environments.
The poem is structured as a series of affirmations, which are typically used to reinforce positive thinking and self-worth. However, in this context, the affirmations are exaggerated to highlight what the author sees as the absurdity of certain attitudes. Each line is a statement that mocks the extremes of victim mentality and the entitlement to absolute emotional protection and moral authority.
The opening lines, "Anything can be a trigger / I stand up for myself and have a right to be recognized," set the tone for the poem. These lines reflect the idea that the current campus environment allows for an overly broad interpretation of what constitutes a trigger, granting individuals the power to demand recognition and accommodation for any perceived slight or discomfort.
As the poem progresses, the affirmations become increasingly hyperbolic, reflecting the author's view that the demands for emotional safety and recognition have gone too far. Lines such as "My virtue, as a victim, gives me absolute moral license" and "Worthy, I am entitled to shout down what is alien to me" critique the notion that victimhood confers moral superiority and the right to silence dissenting voices.
The poem also addresses the culture of canceling and censoring ideas that are deemed offensive. Lines like "I am allowed to censor art and people if it makes me feel better" and "Ban problematic 'art' before examination; it only gives us pain" suggest that the drive to protect students from discomfort has led to a stifling of free expression and critical engagement.
In addition to the critique of cancel culture, the poem mocks the idea that emotional fragility should be indulged rather than worked on. Lines such as "Emotional fragility is to be indulged, not 'worked on'" and "Meltdowns are okay to get what I want: they mean I deserve it" highlight the author's belief that the emphasis on emotional safety can hinder personal growth and resilience.
The poem's conclusion, "Triggering equals raping; raping calls for instant cancellation / Emotional fragility is to be indulged, not 'worked on,'" encapsulates the satirical message. The comparison between triggering and rape is an extreme exaggeration meant to underscore the perceived irrationality of equating emotional discomfort with severe trauma. It also criticizes the tendency to immediately cancel individuals without due process based on subjective feelings of offense.
Overall, "Daily Affirmations for a Campus Warrior" uses satire to critique what the author views as the excesses of modern campus culture. By presenting these exaggerated affirmations, the poem calls into question the balance between protecting individuals from genuine harm and fostering an environment of robust intellectual engagement and personal growth. Through its biting humor and pointed commentary, the poem challenges readers to reconsider the implications of prioritizing emotional comfort over the pursuit of truth and resilience.
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Don’t let anyone tell you that real life is lacking in poetic interest. This is exactly what the poet is for: he has the mind and the imagination to find something of interest in everyday things. Real life supplies the motifs, the points that need to be said—the actual heart of the matter; but it is the poet’s job to fashion it all into a beautiful, animated whole. You are familiar with Fürnstein, the so-called “nature poet”? He has written a poem about growing hops, and you couldn’t imagine anything nicer. I have now asked him to write some poems celebrating the work of skilled artisans, in particular weavers, and I am quite sure he will succeed; he has lived among such people from an early age, he knows the subject inside out, and will be in full command of his material. That is the advantage of small works: you need only choose subjects that you know and have at your command. With a longer poetic work, however, this is not possible. There is no way around it: all the different threads that tie the whole thing together, and are woven into the design, have to be shown in accurate detail. Young people only have a one-sided view of things, whereas a longer work requires a multiplicity of viewpoints—and that’s where they come unstuck.—Goethe (Conversations with Eckermann)
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