Magic Realism Cliché

[rowens]

 
                 Magic Realism Cliché
 
 
 
  Out in South America they got
going on a trend
what is partly religious
                      —some would say—
and burns hollow like God
and Jesus in an atheist's eardrum:
     To talk about things like they
                       were real,
 superstitious, obviously-not things,
 spiritual and outmoded things:
        how can these things interest us:
   Give us serious works like Peter Pan,
   like Barney the Purple Sore,
   like Star Wars, like
                           horror movies,
       like that Leprechaun thing?
 
  Now everybody's doing it
  that's not serious—
        There is a bandwagon,
        a cliché,
        a gay trope,
        a pop music,
        a hick church,
a cautionary tale,
a push lawnmower,
a gnostic bible,
a kangaroo in Australia,
a beret on a Frenchman's head;
 
now that there's a tightrope walker without a net,
a magic without smoke and mirrors,
   we're supposed to be interested,
 
   like a dog without a bone?
 
    I will bitch until I'm offended no more.
    I'll know until there's no more to know.
    There shall be no ghosts.
    There shall be no mysteries.
    The dead shall stay dead;
    the arts shall be intelligent or psychological,
    but never supernatural, not religious in an
unschooled way.
    There shall be no flights of fancy
not mediated by the dictates of common sense
and good common sense at that.
    You will not shake a rod in front of me.
 
 In South America people there will be South American people
as there are Danes in Denmark, and no mermaids off the shores
there.
No werewolves in London; no devils taking bets and making
deals at United States crossroads.
The woman you love will not come back.
Your father will not die with meaning
  if he dies not with honor;
there are no dragons in China or Japan, nor were there
when there were dinosaurs,
and the dinosaurs in your childhood dreambooks and in movies
are not what dinosaurs really looked like or were like.
 
Whoever says otherwise will be mocked,
or else labeled what they truly are:—Fantasy and Science Fiction authors.
 
That should be enough for any person.
 
 

[billy]

hi rowens

who said cliche can't be used in poetry.


To talk about things like they
were real,
superstitious, obviously-not things,
spiritual and outmoded things:
how can these things interest us:
Give us serious works like Peter Pan,
like Barney the Purple Sore,
like Star Wars, like
horror movies,
like that Leprechaun thing?

i love the simplicity of serious works. i've read the poem a few times and as of yet can't come up with anything constructive apart from the fact i like it's robust rant.

[rayheinrich]

I don't think it's a rant; its too introspective for a rant.
I would say it was an observation or contemplation.

As far as criticism goes, it's really too amorphous to get a grip on;
like trying to grab a cloud.

But whatever it is, I love it.

[Mark A Becker]

Hello rowens-

I do think that this piece could be significantly shortened.

Very significantly.

Shortened.

But that's what I always think,
...Mark

[rowens]

I thought it could be shortened to not have anything to it. If that's what you mean by significantly. Writing is easy sometimes because I believe in magic and am superstitious, so what passes for metaphors are my real experiences. And if I want to be ironic all I have to do is lie.

[Mark A Becker]

In the words of poet Stanley Kunitz, "all poets are liars."

Except you, and me, of course...

...Mark

I thought it could be shortened to not have anything to it. If that's what you mean by significantly. Writing is easy sometimes because I believe in magic and am superstitious, so what passes for metaphors are my real experiences. And if I want to be ironic all I have to do is lie.

[rowens]

I thought Nietzsche said that. But, then again, I'm a liar. And not a Nazi. So . . .

[Mark A Becker]

Hmm? Well dang Rowens, perhaps Kunitz just stole it, because as we all know, all poets are thieves.

Friedrich did have a way with words, though, so I'd believe that damn near any quote could be attributed to him. One of my favorite: "without music, life would be a mistake."

... Mark

I thought Nietzsche said that. But, then again, I'm a liar. And not a Nazi. So . . .

[QDeathstar]

Have you been watching Narcos aswell?

[rowens]

I don't use sarcasm. I engage the awful truth. I forgot what I planned to say. Nietzsche never said that now. Though he might've would've. I know he didn't. That much I know.

[QDeathstar]

Edit:

I really like the line breaks. If I am right about this relating to the Narcos series then perhaps your arent a fan on the series because it is a perversion of reality?

[rowens]

I have not been watching Narcos. I have been watching The Strain on FX and Mr. Robot on USA, and TCM besides that. I've been using a phone to reply to all this, which is why I'm not giving feedback on other poems like I want to, and why my comments are so choppy and all of the sudden. Though I could wait a while, even though there is a phone.

[QDeathstar]

Ah, well the title and south American references made me think that.. Magical Realism is mentioned several times through out the season..

[Jezie]

I read... and reread... I am not good at feedback, I am too new as of yet... However, the only feedback besides "interesting and I like it" would be to ask why the large gap between the title and the first line.

[Grace]

Magic Realism Cliche  does what it says on the tin.  It is what it is and isn't what it ain't.  So I like it.
Fave bit: Barney the purple sore. ( ) <------laughing with, not at  

Apologies for feeble attempt at crit, but enjoyed the read. Grace.

[toinfinity]

I really enjoy the concept of this.

I think it plays on the anxiety that a lot of deeper thinkers feel when thinking about the human experience.
I really like how it seems to roll, almost like a train of thought that continues to change. I think it could use some work in the conclusion, but I really like the concept of outlining the silliness of leaning on stereotypes to categorise places around the world. 

I might be completely wrong with everything I've said so far haha, but, I think it's pretty good nonetheless. 

Good job.