Poetry: Gary Beck

Gary Beck
User Quest

Another rainy day.
I sit in internet cave
restless, nervous, frustrated,
surfing different sites,
happy for delights,
on some of the sex apps,
but quickly lose interest,
not in the mood.
I tried some streaming shows
and found a movie
about a hot assassin chick
who traveled the world
murdering her targets
in wild, violent ways
and watched the blood flow,
as I killed time.
***


The Perfect War

The remote conflict
in Afghanistan
against the Taliban,
a relentless foe
that will not surrender,
even if we’re there
another hundred years,
is the ideal enemy
that won’t make peace
unless they can establish
Sharia law.
Our volunteer army
can try new technology
on the battlefield
without a protest storm
domestically.
This isn’t Vietnam
with millions of draftees
fighting peasants
and the worst we could do
was to call them commies,
as our massive military
destroyed their country
that they would not surrender.
So keep our forces there.
Let them learn the art
of modern warfare
with little to lose except
ignominious departure,
familiar to Brits, Russkies,
who slunk away before us.
*** 


Mental State

Many Americans
refuse vaccinations,
saying: ‘God will protect us’,
‘it impinges on our freedom’,
no rational explanation
in a dumbing down country
failing to keep up with
the Information Age,
painfully separating
those who can master
the new learning
from those who believe in
trickle down economics.
***


Twisted Beliefs

Denial of facts
is a mental disease
causing instability
in troubled minds
who refuse to accept
there was a Holocaust,
men walked on the moon,
children were killed in school.
Deniers exist
in alternate reality,
believing what they want,
rejecting what they don’t,
actual occurrences
only acceptable
if they conform
to twisted minds.
*** 


To the Unknown Artist

Contemporary artists
Cannot conceive
how easy they have it
compared to painters of old.
Today they shop
at the art supply store,
purchase acrylics,
pre-stretched canvases,
all kinds of brushes
and complain bitterly
they don’t have representation,
struggle for space, income
and envy successful artists
who made it big.

A little detachment,
philosophic attitude
might make them realize
few starved to death,
or go mad anymore
tormented by creative demons.
If they thought about
the ancient cave painters
who invented everything,
colors, structure, technique,
the list goes on and on,
they’d recognize
those guys didn’t have tv
or music of choice
and accept the harsh fact
that only a few succeed
out of thousands of aspirers.
***


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