Tag: irony

Take Away This

~~ a rondine ~~

by tkbrown
Take away this; then replace it with that,
give little thought for the things to be lost--
the value they held or replacement cost.
The morning will bring a new coat and hat;
'Twill wrap-up warmer than the one thrown out,
bolster the image and smooth the way flat.
Take away this.

New thoughts, new ways will remove tit for tat,
excluding habits known to increase frost,
forbidding views of traditional host,
supplanting the old with new voice in chat.
Take away this.

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Take Away This . . .

~~ Poetic Form Commentary ~~

by tkbrown

While the rondine form in poetry has traditionally been utilized as a romantic vent, my use of the format has — from the beginning — taken a different course. When my mind conjures a rondine, it tends to address irony by focusing on a specific word whose original intent focused one direction but often presents a view taking a divergent path.

With this rendition of the rondine, I have taken my variance up a notch to address political concerns and somber reality. Since the coronavirus sidelined our world’s best laid plans a few years back, our whole outlook on life has seemed to change — and I am not sure it has been for the betterment of our society as a whole. Therefore, I have tried to be the voice of many who are unsure whether or not to speak out.

My past tendencies of a poetic nature have presented themselves in batches of a particular form. Thus, I am inclined to believe this will be the case in this venue. I have written political satire before–though I am not sure this is satirical. As you read, contemplate what the poem says to you, and please scroll down to “Like” if you appreciate what I have written. Then post a comment letting me know what you think. Does the rondine enhance the message presented–pro or con, I would like to hear your thoughts.

Thank You for reading. I appreciate you!

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Photo Above: by Steve Johnson @Unsplash.com.

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Lead Pipes . . .

~~ an Essay ~~

~~ by tkbrown

According to the Associated Press (Porter and Catalini), lead pipes — in cities across America — are poisoning our children . . . and us . . . via the water that is piped into our homes. Tainted water in Washington D.C. was just the beginning. Then came the Flint, Michigan water scandal . . . and now Newark, New Jersey.

The human body, our domestic animals . . . we must have water to live. What an irony that the very pipes bringing that water into our homes are also poisoning that water with lead. This water, in turn, poisons all who drink it.

Porter and Catalini cite the 1986 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ban of lead in water pipes. The reason for the ban, cited by the EPA, was “lead’s harmful effects on children’s nervous systems.” In 1991, water systems across the nation were required by federal mandate to monitor lead levels in drinking water with a limit established of 15 parts per billion.

The 1991 mandate was twenty-eight years ago. This means that every town, village, community and city in this nation should have, on record, the levels of lead in the servicing water system(s). How much lead are YOU drinking daily? How much lead is your beloved dog or cat drinking daily? Even more importantly, how much are our children — who have no protection if not by us — drinking daily?

Are WE killing our children in America, because we have omitted following up on these mandates? Are WE causing the neurological damage that our children suffer because we have blindly trusted the system to correct the problem?

It is time for US to stop allowing our children to be poisoned by the very people who create the laws for us to live by! It is time for us to stop putting the children of other nations ahead of our own children’s health, education and welfare!

It is time for US — ALL OF US — to inundate our local, state and federal government representatives with demands to purify our water systems. Is the anti-corrosive coating inside many of these lead pipes actually preventing that lead from leaching through into the water? We had better be finding out — for our children’s sake — for our grandchildren’s sake!

Passing out bottled water is not sufficient! That bottled water in no way covers all of the water ingested by our children. Food is washed and cooked from tap water, as a rule. That means the very food we are serving our children may be poisoning them. Where can our children turn for protection if we, their parents and grandparents, are not protecting them?

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Sources: Porter, David and Catalini, Mike. (13 September 2019). “Lead pipes that tainted Newark’s water are found across US.” (Accessed 13 September 2019). Associated Press (AP) on msn news. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lead-pipes-that-tainted-newarks-water-are-found-across-us/ar-AAHfXiB?ocid=spartanntp.

Mayo Clinic. (6 December 2016). “Patient Care and Health Information – Diseases and Conditions: Lead Poisoning.” (Accessed 13 September 2019). Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717.

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Photo Above: by Epcor.com.

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Drip!

~~ a Senryu ~~

~~ by tkbrown

Drip! Drip! Drip! Drip! Drip!

The sound is haunting, daunting —

Music to the ears!

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Senryu – According to Merriam-Webster (2019), the ‘Senryu’ is “a three-line unrhymed Japanese poem that is structurally similar to the haiku but treating human nature usually in an ironic or satiric vein.”

Source: Merriam-Webster: Dictionary: Since 1828. (2019). “Senryu.” (Accessed 11 September 2019). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senryu.

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Photo Above: by Mayank Dhanawade @ Unsplash.

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~~ Shakespearean ~~

~~ a Senryu ~~

~~ by tkbrown
Dearly loved by some,
despised by many others;
~~  Shakespearean plays.
The Chandos portrait
at nosweatshakespeare.com

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Senryu – According to Merriam-Webster (2019), the ‘Senryu’ is “a three-line unrhymed Japanese poem that is structurally similar to the haiku but treating human nature usually in an ironic or satiric vein.”

Source: Merriam-Webster: Dictionary: Since 1828. (2019). “Senryu.” (Accessed 11 September 2019). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senryu.

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