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[Ashes]

Theme: "Working Class Struggles"

There's a whole history of working class poets. Might as well honour some of the poets from the working class by attempting to write our own spin on it. For or against is cool. A slice of life piece is cool. Anything on the subject really.

Optional Secondary Objective: "Proletarian poetry"

This week's secondary objective isn't a form of poetry to include in your work. It's to read a single proletarian poem. That's it. Just list what poem you read & you get to have a second entry.

---

Submission Deadline:

By the last minute of Friday 10th October.

Voting Deadline:

By the last minute of Sunday 12th October

* FAQ
* Hall of Fame & Previous Challenges

 

[Osorio]

Really like this topic

 

[FelixOrion]

aww yeah let's do it comrades

 

[Ashes]

A reminder that we only a few days left for the entries because of my lateness at putting up the thread. Sorry folks. :/

 

[Nezumi]

I really want to enter but I have hard time relating to the theme.

 

[Ashes]

Busy thread as usual.

 

[disappeared]

"You learn the system;
you don't change it - it only goes one way"
he said.
"Nowhere to go, so you
just stay down and fight
right here."
He sat at the bar there
next to me,
an older man -
deaf in one ear,
by 2:30 he'd stopped talking altogether;
just swayed and
murmured with his eyes
closed. A veterinarian sat down next to him
towards the end of the night,
he looked like Jesus and
talked to the bartender
about all the dogs and
cats he had to mercy-kill
over the years;
then he launched straight into
how the Vikings were doing
this season.
I'd had five or six pints and
figured it time to go. As I
stood up,
the man opened his eyes and
looked at me real lazy,
"Buddy, you're a real piece of shit!"
he said.
"All right."
It was the first week of October,
nights were getting colder,
outside then
down Albert,
no cars came or went.

 

[zankara]

Dragging my feet back home
Looks of hopefulness greeting me
Avoiding eye contact
Disappointment once again
I hug them tightly
Staring at the overdue power bill
Nothing to do but sleep
I close my eyes and dream

What is that enticing smell?
Eating my full
I crack a joke, Everyone laughs
So warming to see smiles
I feel content
Quick reflexes I grab the ball
Throw it back with surprising energy
The water looks so calming
Dipping my foot in, I hesitate

Suddenly awake
Daylight in my eyes
I spring out of bed
Rush out the door
Today’s the day!
Stomach grumbling
I notice a stain on my shirt
Please let today be the day!

 

[Calvero]

I think an extension would be good.

 

[Ashes]

I'm afraid in my threads the deadline is absolute and cer-

xcoughx we allow a small grace period xcoughx

Who said that? Nobody heard nothing!!!

 

[Bizzity]

Let's see, two hours to deadline and I just saw this thread and I love the topic, can I do it? maybe!

EDIT: In retrospect I should have just edited this post.

 

[Dresden]

I stopped thinking as soon as the stairs stopped moving
I stopped moving as soon as the stairs stopped moving
And when it began to move again
I stopped thinking
and my body began to move again
and my body began to work again

 

[Bizzity]

In dire need of editing, lengthening, rearranging, restating, and a better cadence. I've been working 9 hour days all week, and I'm tired, and half-asleep. I wish I would've seen this thread earlier!


Beer never tasted so good,
when I was young and wide awake.
Your eyes never shown so bright,
when I saw them everyday.
The sweet scent of something,
anything other than metal,
never made me smile.

I never missed the boredom,
the freedom,
when I was young and wide awake.

They told me.
In words I'd never say.
"Work hard and earn your due.
It's American to work hard.
It's American to want more."
They tell me this,
when I'm old and half asleep.

 

[Osorio]

I told the boys the president wanted breakfast
Probably old bagels with cream cheese and OJ
On the 18th floor of the palace in the sky
"Fuckin' tell her what we go through out here"
"The too hot in summer, too cold in winter"
"Sixty hour work weeks, no exceptions"
"No union, late paychecks, shit wages"
Terrell passes by with the swift interjection
"And we never see them tickets to Nets games"
"Shut up man, we're fuckin' serious!"
"We just wanna see some appreciation"
"For our hard work, for our loyalty"
Somewhere I heard the word plantation

The next morning I went up there
18th floor, palace in the sky
Old soggy bagels with melted cream cheese
Eyebrows raised, passing my presence
The president sits down with a smile
And talks about the future of 3d printing
A machine in Italy printed a house
In a quarter the time of human hands
Hand claps and back pats all around
And I laugh the fakest laugh
I ask her, afraid to look her in the eye
"But what about the workers?"
"What are they gonna do? Where they gonna go?"
How do those platitudes go?
The best questions are left unasked?
Free meals are hardly ever free?

 

[Ashes]

Bits of wallpaper are missing,
The house is messy,
The lights are out,
Dad's gone to put in more credit.
Tracey's feeding the baby,
Jodie went to get fags for mum.
Mum's been diagnosed with diabetes.
I've not been home in a long time,
& this is what I see.
The lights are back.
Put the kettle on luv, mum says,
You're staying for tea, right?

 

[FelixOrion]

I Shall Remain

For the poor shall never cease
And if you become the poor?
May your protests never cease.

Semper fidelis
Was that once your cry?
That was a contract that goes both ways

Equality before the law
And if the law rejects you?
Equality before all else

 

[Ashes]

Last Call.
edit: Halp! lots of untitled pieces... :¬|

 

[Ashes]

#7
#8
#9
#13
#14
#15
#16

 

[RP912]

I missed the deadline

 

[HORRORSHØW]

wow. didn't even see this thread till now. lol

 

[Ashes]

You can still read and vote until the end of the weekend... And a bit.

You can also enter the creative writing thread - deadline next Friday.

 

[RP912]

1. FelixOrion
2. Dresden
3. disappeared

 

[Ashes]

Hmm... How to vote...

 

[FelixOrion]

If this was a true Worker's Socialist Poetry Thread, all posters should received an equal point value. However, in true capitalist dog Bourgeoisie fashion, I will asign values subjectively to the right honorable brothers and sisters as I see fit.

1. Comrade zankara
2. Comrade Osorio
3. Comrade disappeared

 

[disappeared]

Dresden
Ashes
Zankara

 

[disappeared]

If this was a true Worker's Socialist Poetry Thread, all posters should received an equal point value. However, in true capitalist dog Bourgeoisie fashion, I will asign values subjectively to the right honorable brothers and sisters as I see fit.

Everyone is the last winner.

 

[zankara]

1. Osorio
2. disappeared
3. FelixOrion

 

[Osorio]

Disappeared

Ashes

Zankara

This thread got me to read homage to Catalonia again

Well done y'all but I had to pick three

 

[Ashes]

Last day!!! Make your vote count.

 

[disappeared]

Ashes,

shit or get off the pot.

 

[Ashes]

1. Felix.
2. Bizzity
3. Dresden.

 

[Ashes]

FelixOrion - 7pts**
disappeared - 7pts*
Dresden - 6pts*
zankara - 5pts*
Osorio - 5pts*
Ashes - 4pts
Bizzity - 2pts

Congrats Felix! Cut it real fine.

 

[FelixOrion]

cool cool, will having something up later today.

 

[FelixOrion]

New thread is up: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=913325