"How are you liking the city?"
-
"Oh it's not too bad. I miss the trees, the green...
But it's nice that everything's so close to me."
-
"Yeah, it is pretty great - the efficiency."
...
Efficiency
We equate it with progress;
the fast track to the world we want to see, means
Efficiency
is king and queen, we bow our heads
and cast our consciences at the feet of its majesty, all hail
Efficiency
Things take less time, but
Cost far more peace. Can't we see that
Efficiency
is a devil in hero's guise,
For nothing more than hurry corrupts a healthy priority into
Efficiency
and pulls us from the slow, gentle art
of maintaining one's soul, amidst this carnal spree we call
Efficiency.
...
Last week I saw a man honking his horn at a woman on crutches slowly navigating the crosswalk.
She only had one leg.
He kept honking until she was fully out of his way.
*
*
*
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you for reading this strange piece! After seeing the scene described at the end of the poem, I felt compelled to share it in this way. May we all be less hurried and more compassionate. Cheers, friends.
About the Creator
Gabriel Huizenga
Twas for love of words that I first joined this site:
Poetry, essays, and dear short stories too;
For to live one's best is to read, and to write!
So find me in words here, and I'll find you 💙
Thanks for stopping by! :)
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Comments (8)
When I got to the end, it made me so angry. Loved your poem though. I agree totally. With everything. That honker will get his - I'm confident.
Gabriel, I think I would have had some words for the "honker." That infuriates me. I lived in Austin, TX for over 20 years and am now retired to a small town in Louisiana. I don't miss the "efficiency" much. I have replaced it with that peace. Enjoyed your poem.
Amazing! The opening anchor of a dialogue scene and the echoes of “efficiency” throughout were very impactful. The particulars of “cost far more peace”, “corrupts a healthy priority” and “carnal spree” were deftly done! And the end scene you described that provided inspiration was absolutely ghastly. This is an excellent reminder to be more patient and intentional
peaceful
Well, humans are ridiculously selfish! Loved your poem and truly dislike that driver!
I really loved this… know that you just triggered so much in me with this piece (in a positive philosophical way 😅) 👌🙏🌟
Love the point of view here, and the subtitle was clever.
It's both heartfelt and captivating."