planet go boom

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Mark Burrow

Wed, 01 Feb 2023
  • 2343 reads
27 comments
 

ceo make speech

give award

accept award

 

ceo owe everything to family

 

ceo save whale

donate to charity

cry when queeny die

 

ceo believe in military industrial complex

 

ceo crank handle

leverage synergy

eat low hanging fruit

 

think ceo thoughts under blue ceo sky

 

ceo like haute cuisine

know maitre 'd by first name

go to special club

 

for spanky-spanky

 

ceo polo star in youth

but now play golf

quaff champagne at regatta

 

send both children to public school

 

ceo hate tax

boo regulation, red tape

& say union very bad

 

monkey see

ceo is me

monkey do

ceo is you

 

ceo happy

staff come in early

& leave late

 

ceo comms team

post authenticity

on social media

 

go back in time

           ceo build shiny satanic mill

                                      walk plantation

                                              prospect for gold

 

ceo sad to lay off staff

tough call to make

but machine better than human

 

ceo still want max pay

& bonus ratchets

at record high

 

ceo profit from your loss

my loss

all loss

 

peel away ceo skin

spoon out ceo eyes

and find vulture head

on lizard body

 

ceo slither through sewer

reaching city of night

& slide into your bed, whispering

dreamy-dream of post-industrial revolution

 

ceo get what ceo want

 

ceo deep undercover

spy

double agent

 

judge. jury. executioner

 

ceo evil multiply

in poverty, hysteria  

war & madness

 

ceo grow strong

feasting off lies

that never end

 

ceo don’t stop

until planet go boom

& we all deady-dead

Certificate PG
Other
Other Fiction

Comments

Submitted by marandina on

Well I have been to many conferences and listened to ceo speeches etc. A chilling profile and one that will fit quite a few (not all).

Stripped-back is the style of choice for Mark, methinks. There's a haunting, ominous rhythm to the whole thing. Paul 

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks for your comments, Paul. Glad it struck a chord. Popped into my head while on the train to work on Monday. 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Chilling (in the old fashioned sense). Please put this one down for reading at our next event too Mark

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Good to hear the mood came across for you. Very happy to read again -- we'll need to put an event in the diary at some point. As ever, thanks for your comments. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I know the phrase "monkey see, monkey do" but didn't understand how you were using it in your very strong poem, so looked up in Wikipedia

"The saying refers to the learning of a process without an understanding of why it works. Another definition implies the act of imitation, usually with limited knowledge and/or concern for the consequences." Do you mean the second part, doing without caring about the consequences? I think this phrase must be why it sounds like pidgin all through?

I really want to know more about your thinking, as this poem skewers all my muddled ideas about capitalism. It is completely brilliant

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Hi Di -- thanks so much for reading and the feedback. Not sure if this will answer your question as I'm hopeless with self-analysis (just ask my counsellor), but it's a nusery rhyme-style phrase that I think works for unthinking, unfeeling action.Doing something by rote because it's what you're supposed to do. I think you're right about the consequences part too -- either not caring or not thinking.

I guess I went ultra simplistic because it seemed the clearest way to get the point across. 

That probably makes zero sense.... 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Perfect sense! Thankyou so much for explaining :0)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Brilliant. Love it.

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thank you! Means a lot.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Very lucky to have two great pieces from you in the space of a week or so. This is our Pick of the Day! Do share on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

This was a lovely surprise after a 3.5 hour drive. Thank you so much. 

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Love it. How we've normalised demons.

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks, Jane. Yes, that's a good way to put it.

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Love the english.Typical. Not much better this side.

Tom

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks for reading, Tom. Appreciated. 

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Wonderful stuff, Mark. The rhythm is great. Sums up exactly what I feel after hearing about Shell's obscene profits this morning. Definitely another one for a reading! 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks, AF. Really appreciated.

And yes, the profits from Shell are obscene. 

 

Submitted by celticman on

ceo lives on a different planet. So he thinks. So we sink. 

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Sounds about right. Cheers, CM

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Poem of the Week - Congratulations!

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks so much for this -- you've made my day. 

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Very telling and very effective, Mark. Strangely, it made sense to learn that it came into your head while on the train because reading it, I could feel a rhythm similar to that of a travelling train.
Congratulations on your accolade.

Best, Luigi.

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Hadn't thought of that but you might be right! Thanks for reading, Luigi, and your kind comments.

 

Submitted by Mark Say on

... although it will probably get you chucked out of the Institute of Directors.

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Thanks, Mark. Appreciated. 

 

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

Great poem Mark. 

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Cheers, Drew. Thanks for reading.