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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Setu, November 2023