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Checks And Balances

It is all around us, and one can not escape.
It can not be changed, or helped.
The skunk on the side of the road.
The one that stinks to high heaven.
He's part of it.

Every person we've interred into the ground.
They're part of it.
The dog that craps in your yard.
Sadly, part of it as well.
It's a balance.

Death and decay
From it springs life.
As nutrients seep into soil; almost seminal
The transformation from the repulsive to the beautiful.
As witnessed in a field of bluebells.

The balance continues.
The chain unbroken.
As it has always been
And will always continue to be
Evermore.....

— infinite_dwarf, Jul 07, 2008

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: North Carolina, USA, USA

Favorite Poets: E.A. Poe, Lewis Carroll, Charles Bukowski, Michael McClure, Lawrence Ferlenghetti.

More from this author

Critiques

weirdelf

weirdelf

17 years 11 months ago

corpses and dog crap to the great wheel of life

absolutely perfect to the theme and beautifully written, ascending to the numinous, almost hymn-like. Congratulations. I hope you remembered to enter the contest code 073108 in the contest code box on your submission. Whoever came in first and voted 3, that is not helpful, please always leave a comment, a vote by itself is meaningless (and does not count towards the competition) cheers, Jess
P

poewriter58

17 years 11 months ago

jess

You certainly have turned trash into a treasure with this poem well done Mom
D

DarkinAZ

17 years 11 months ago

"Trash"....

very nice, MOM!, even better way of squeeking out of it. LOL I really enjoyed this Jess. Your friend, Mark
Mark

Mark

17 years 11 months ago

"After a year

it becomes romantic" (The messanger) Mark
Candlewitch

Candlewitch

17 years 11 months ago

:)

A job well done. Good luck on the contest! Always, Cat
P

purplemoondoll

17 years 11 months ago

You have captured the theme

You have captured the theme brilliantly. Yep - thats nasty and rotten turned into something really special! Nice work! Thanks for your entry - I look forward to judging this in the contest! Kaz It's impossible to smile on the outside without feeling better on the inside.
M

Majeedahs_Umi

17 years 11 months ago

once again...

good job...i was gone for a while but i see you are still going hard... good job be blessed, brandi
B

barbsdad2003

17 years 11 months ago

Oh, that poor ...

skunk ... to be associated with those other items you've listed. You've delivered a creative response to an artful challenge. Thanx, Chuck PS: And since I'm really not that skunk (although I have witnessed a backyard half-grown skunk recoil in startled disgust in response to my odor in particular, and that even though I was fresh from soap and shower), I'm quite pleased with your piece.
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 11 months ago

Jess K...

way ta go...! that is exactly the theme they asked for...hit right on the head... loved this write of yours... Richard
infinite_dwarf

infinite_dwarf

17 years 11 months ago

Thanks all!

Jess T. - I've given up with the vote thing... lol I do as you're supposed to, and conceded to not worry about everyone else. Thanks for your vote of confidence, and your kind words - and yes, I did remember the code, thanks. :~) Mom - This one actually took me a great deal of time to write; and I wasn't satisfied with the results. Mark K.- Glad you enjoyed, my friend. Thanks for the read. Mark L. - Sounds so familiar, but can't quite place it. Everything in time becomes either romantic or hilarious. Cat - Thanks for reading and leaving feedback. :~) Kaz - And I look forward to having you judge it. There have been some incredible entries thus far, and I'm quite worried. *laughs* Brandi!!! - omg girl where have you been?! Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Chuck - Well, they wanted repulsive, and the only thing I could think of at that moment was a nice, juicy, fresh-squished skunk. Beautiful creatures, I couldn't agree more, but frightfully stinky too! Glad you liked it! Richard - As I said to Kaz, there are a lot of really good entries for this contest, some even more pleasantly (and hilariously) gross than this! Glad you enjoyed it. ~Jess K. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ~"Save the trees, wipe your ass with an owl..." ~"The grass may be greener on the other side, but it still needs to be mowed..."
O

orgami

17 years 10 months ago

Lovely poem

the skunk god i had forgotten about these nocturnal little creatures I dont drive anymore and have been city bound now for years and flowers I see some wild ones and mostly cared for planted varietys Great Poem "as witnessed in a feild of bluebells" I remember these
Rett

Rett

17 years 9 months ago

Well Jess K.

Somehow I missed this till it has won. Job well done. Oh bury me deep on the lone prarieeeeeee, hack cough cough.. Never could hit a high note. Come to think of it I can't hit any note. Z flat is about the best I can do. Respectfully, Rett: "The only thing observable with the naked eye to exceed the speed of light is rumor" Unknown
PB

Paul Butters.

17 years 8 months ago

I see the resemblance

- to my poem "Flower Folk". We both address life's "cycle" or whatever. Constant destruction and creation. Am glad I only described the rotting of "petals" however. You are more graphic about the things that rot etc. Myself I use the flower as a metaphor for people. You use flowers more as a symbol of creation and hope. Excellent write by the way. Paul. PS and no hippies!!!