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07/26 An Interview With Bad Luck

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Bad Luck Inc.

"Hey there Henry," standing to shake hands,
"So, you want to work for Bad Luck Inc. huh?"
"Why don't you hang out for a minute while I take a couple of calls, and we will get your application started."

"Soooo... Let me seeee... Okay, I guess we can help you with a flat tire on Tuesday the night of the 17th... Yeah, that looks good. "Phil, will you cash this gentleman out?"

Yeah Dan... Alrighty, that will be $250, annnnnd there ya go, your receipt? No...? good idea, ya never know, when she might decide to go looking through your wallet. Oh... you do... I see... Okay, so I guess you won't have to go to that dumb political tea party after all? 

Well, thank you sir; that's what we are here for! To give our customers the best of the bad luck we can. Byyyee...

Hey Mrs. Swashbutt? Yeah, your PayPal got here juuust before your husband, so you are allll taken care of... Yes, of course, Mrs. Swashbutt... If he tries to get the new secretar... Yes, of course we know all about her; you told us... Yess. Okay, Mrs. Swaa... 

"Phew, Phil, that was close, I thought she had us for sure. Now make sure you tell Mrs. Peabody about..."

 "Hello, Bad Luck Incorporated, how can we help you today?"

 

— Geezer, Jul 09, 2026

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Final polish

About the Author

Region, Country: New York State - USA, USA

Favorite Poets: Poe, Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, Shakespeare, and many of the poets here at Neopoet.

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More from this author

Critiques

Human Cultist

Human Cultist

1 week ago

Critique.

Well, firstly, the poem’s concept is really brilliant. The idea of a company selling manufactured inconveniences as excuses is wonderfully funny, and the conversational style lets the reader instantly feel the satire.

That said, I do have one main issue with the clarity. Because it’s a free verse poem written as a continuous block of dialogue, it lacks the formatting cues or "stage directions" that would help a reader follow the narrative flow. It's hard to tell when the narrator hangs up the phone, switches to a new customer, or turns to talk to Phil.

Personally, I had a really difficult time figuring out the context at first. Without those structural anchors, my mind initially tried to connect the lines into two completely different narrative threads—one involving a leeching girlfriend and another about a cheating husband!

Overall, it's a great, highly creative poem. Just adding a tiny bit of structural clarity or line-break cues would go a long way in helping the reader follow your brilliant idea from the very first line without getting lost.

Human Cultist

Human Cultist

1 week ago

Critique.

Well, firstly, the poem’s concept is really brilliant. The idea of a company selling manufactured inconveniences as excuses is wonderfully funny, and the conversational style lets the reader instantly feel the satire.

That said, I do have one main issue with the clarity. Because it’s a free verse poem written as a continuous block of dialogue, it lacks the formatting cues or "stage directions" that would help a reader follow the narrative flow. It's hard to tell when the narrator hangs up the phone, switches to a new customer, or turns to talk to Phil.

Personally, I had a really difficult time figuring out the context at first. Without those structural anchors, my mind initially tried to connect the lines into two completely different narrative threads—one involving a leeching girlfriend and another about a cheating husband!

Overall, it's a great, highly creative poem. Just adding a tiny bit of structural clarity or line-break cues would go a long way in helping the reader follow your brilliant idea from the very first line without getting lost.

Geezer

Geezer

6 days 13 hours ago

Thank you...

for pointing out the flaw in my "brilliant" poem. I did wonder about the lack of directorial clues but figured that most people would suss it out without direct directions. Just goes to show that you never know what you are going to get from the audience. I will look for the opportunities to "direct" the reader. Hopefully, I will be able to clear up the mystery of who is speaking and when. ~ Geez.

 

Human Cultist

Human Cultist

6 days 7 hours ago

Critique(2)

The poem has become much more refined and nuanced elder.

Firstly, I'd like to appreciate the poem's concept once again, it is really good, unique, and has a unique comedy about itself.

The poem's revision changes(paragraph breaks) has caused the pacing to be tightened, or rather, slowed, which allows the reader to get more time to understand what the poem actually means.

Now secondly, well, I see a few things that 'I think' are a bit... you know, a bit hitchy for me, purely personal opinion.

In the first stanza, though it is now much clearer, that what the person is saying as the breaks in para make it easier, compared to the chunk of text it was.
But I do think adding another " At the end of the first dialogue, before the narrator says something to phil, as that would more clearly divide the dialogues, but one can also not choose to as ';' is not a bad choice as well, but I think reducing a bit of chaos can work.

Well, in the second stanza, the narrator has more info then he should, maybe someone knowing the trope of "Omniscient/Cynical Customer Service Rep.", may understand, but someone not knowing it will only think of it as a logical error, but I presume it is entirely justified to keep it there, though it may make it hard for the pacing.

About the third stanza, I believe, well, umm... this line:
Yeah, your PayPal got here juuust before your husband,

It is this one line that I still don't know meaning of after trying to repeatedly break this code language, I have no idea what Paypal arriving before husband is supposed to mean, but it might as well be my own ineptitude that has led me to be devoid of understanding towards the elder's profound words of the way.

The next two paragraph are very acceptable by me, I do not find any mentionable issue in them.

Now about the improvement in directions, I say having different punctuations to cut dialogue is good, but I suggest for clarity's and reader's sanity's sake, the elder might want to reduce the cutting punctuations from  ',', '...', ';', ' " " ', '?' to a mere few, or even, you might just try to keep the ' " ' as the sole divider as that might help the reader shift their focus from grammatical comedy to the type of comedy the poem actually is trying to give.

Overall though, I'd say the poem is pretty nice of a comedy one, and it certainly does sound like a good idea, just a bit more clarity might help it achieve its potential.

Geezer

Geezer

6 days 2 hours ago

You do know...

what PayPal is? An electronic means of money transfer? 
I'm sure that in dealing with shady characters, Bad Luck Inc. has had to deal with payment issues. He was just letting Mrs. Swashbutt that her payment had arrived before her husband did, to make his deal. I'm thinking that if her payment had not arrived before he had, that she would have been out of luck, so to speak. Off to make a couple of minor changes. ~ Geez.

 

Human Cultist

Human Cultist

8 hours 9 min ago

Critique(3)

Firstly, to the grand elder, I am baffled at the level of improvement that has been shown since the first version of this poem.

If I had to, it is not the difference of man and god, but the difference of the sky and the ant.

The directions have improved significantly, and the idea is now being spoken much more clearly, the words of the way now clearly resonate with one’s mind, as if the pictures emerging as a seamless film.

I really have to say, looking at it the first time, that single block of text, I never thought it’d reach this level high in the skies, maybe this is the essence of revising a poem and the beauty of the art.

Secondly, let me first tell the few minor things that troubled me were.

Well, actually I see no minor issues, it is a shame, but I have to say, my eye for the way is weaker than yours.

Now, there are actually two problems I am still grappling with while reading your profound words.

First stanza, who is Henry? Well, the poem tells he is seeking job at bad luck inc, but the poem doesn’t mention him after that at all! And it makes me feel, well, what exactly was the purpose of Henry? Just to start the scene? That feels slightly off to me.

I think adding something at the last like, now Henry, provide your resume or something may make it more natural and make the structure better, since the poem starts with him, ending it with him feels natural to me.

Fourth stanza, I actually wanted to ask this earlier too but thought that asking it at that stage would not be highly beneficial, but now since I believe mostly polishing is left, I think asking who actually is this miss Peabody makes sense. I have to inform the elder, I have no idea, from my first reading till now, who this miss Peabody is, who is she even supposed to be? One might ask, what purpose does she even serve? I feel it is making the plot feel a bit abrupt, and I am still trying to make sense of her mentioning, maybe adding just a bit more detail about her might help you clarify what purpose does she actually serve and make her inclusion into the plot seamless.

In the end, I’d conclude that, the poem is fire, every syllable resonates with the way and rings the chimes of the heavenly bell in the soul, clarity has risen to a point where most things are clear, and the poem encapsulates the level of the elder’s understanding of the way more perfectly.

Geezer

Geezer

15 min 42 sec ago

Well actually...

 yes, Henry was to make the scene start in a way to indicate that it is an interview with Bad Luck Inc. I do see what you mean by maybe ending the piece with a bit about Henry, I'll give that a thought. Mrs. Peabody is another client that they are helping with a husband who is cheating. It is only implied, because I felt that the example of Mrs. Swashbutt would give the right vibe. A resume? A smarmy company like Bad Luck Incorporated is asking for resumes? Still thinking... I have an idea that maybe Henry got a good feel for what B.L.I. is all about. ~ Geez.
 

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