A new poem by Te Whanganui-a-Tara poet Bill Nelson.

A solution for the masses

He says if we are to survive
the apocalypse we must
spoonify everything.

The noose is around our necks,
the winter has come and gone,
taken the wind from the blades.

To the gathering, he says
he has an idea that even
a knife thrower could understand.

He has data and a convincing
marketing department,
a PhD from MIT.

You can’t deny he’s mostly right
about the things
that are mostly wrong.

And we all think, although don’t ask,
why we all must buy a spoon
when an oversized shovel would do?

He slams his laptop shut
and shoves it in his backpack.
I’ve got to catch a flight to Melbourne.

The person who manages calendars
and orders flowers for the recently retired
suggests, if you run, you might just make it.

The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are currently closed.