avatarJ.D. Harms

Summary

The poem "Dismissal" reflects on the themes of despair, artificiality, and emotional suppression.

Abstract

"Dismissal" is a poem that captures a scene of emotional turmoil and artificial interactions. It depicts a character, possibly a writer, named Dismay, who types away on a keyboard, attempting to revive something lost or forgotten amidst the dust. The poem touches on the struggle to contain or express grief, the superficiality of dialogue that lacks genuine connection, and the pain of unacknowledged emotions. The imagery suggests a performance of normalcy, where the heart's suffering is ignored, and material wealth is prioritized. The poem concludes with a vivid metaphor of a dragon swinging a day lantern, indicating a dramatic, perhaps tragic, display that goes unacknowledged by an indifferent audience.

Opinions

  • The poem conveys a critical view of societal norms that value materialism over genuine emotional expression.
  • It suggests that there is a performative aspect to how people handle grief and personal struggles.
  • The author seems to lament the lack of authenticity in human interactions, highlighting the facade people maintain.
  • The poem implies that emotional pain, when ignored, can lead to a dramatic and perhaps destructive outpouring.
  • There is a sense of frustration with the superficiality of dialogue and the inability to engage with deeper emotional truths.

Dismissal

A Poem

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

Dismay clicks away at dusty keys a letter of revival pity for those who cannot keep pity out who cannot make a pit to trap their grief who will not light up the garbage to keep their arthritic hearts from exiting center stage The dialogue was going this way before crossing illicit space spending cents that don’t exist on jewelry that does gold cuts the eye diamond harbours a nose The contrived air of this dismissal opening coarse holes of sweat and nicotine the dragon of the amputated tail swings the day lantern at the audience and if those are screams or tears no one waits to find out

J.D. Harms 2020

Poetry
Madness
Mental Drama
Musings
Image
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