Low.
Eyes fastened on distorted idols
Dangling above,
The horizon rising,
Never glancing back.
Gum stuck to synthetic souls,
Soles and rubber,
Erasing the best of this world,
Whittling our images
Into rats
And slugs and
Bullshit things
That wrestle on the bottom
For scraps of hope
Not realizing there are none
And we're feasting on ourselves.
-
Necks broken,
Too late to look up again,
To cry out.
The broken, the forgotten,
The damned, the shunned
The outcasts
Jumbled together
In a cannibalistic
Rotted carpet
Peppering alleyways
And dumpsters,
All racing to finish
Dead last in a
Chase to the bottom–
Low.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Keep reading
More stories from Heather Hubler and writers in Poets and other communities.
warm-blooded
I know a lot of people skip right past music selections that are paired with stories, but I hope you take the time for this one. I've included not only the first song that inspired the poem, but the entire set from NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series as Lizzy McApline has a divine, etheral sound.
By Heather Hubler11 months ago in Poets
Comments (28)
Incisive and insightful, atmosphere of muck and degeneration. But a beautiful poem born out of it! Thanks! Like is restated is many Buddhist aphorisms: the lotus grown from the filth of the gutter, but its petals are pure.
Feasting on ourselves. So beautifully written. ❤️
Heather, I really enjoyed this. It felt dirty and grimy, as you told a story that had such a deep message about what it takes to survive. (my ammeter interpretation). This was emotional and breath taking! I really enjoyed it!
There are so many ways to interpret this- but truly feels familiar. Your last few lines gripped me: “All racing to finish Dead last in a Chase to the bottom” Love the depth to your work, Heather! Always beautiful, even in the darkness. 💫
Stark.
Whoaaaa, this was deeper than the deepest parts of the ocean. I read it 3 times to get the full effect. You are simply amazing!
Describes my feeling to a tee on a Friday(right now) at the end of a lousy week 😊 Well done ❤️
This brings by my daily walk to work. Historic squares filled with Live oak trees shrouding shady lanes beneath, where the homeless sleep on park benches and under stairs. I feel this poem very deeply!
And I am reminded of the one who knelt to sit with them, visit, teach, eat with & heal them. And I am reminded of those who truly follow, willing to descend into the depths of Hell itself, to reach them.
This feels like a spot-on, heart-wrenching summary of the modern human condition. Very well done.
This is so incredible, my friend! I am honestly speechless at your skill with words and your ability to evoke such emotion. I am in forever awe 😍
Hits very very hard in today's climate 💔❤️ Hope you're safe and well xx
Brilliant! I think I’d change ‘there are none’ to ‘there is none’ for better flow but the imagery was so evocative!
Great imagery ,wow
A descriptive trip through real-life horror, great work
Wow. The beauty of the destruction. Every line is a vivid image. This is incredible!
Nice job H2, see ya when you get here 😳
Just wow!!!! Loved the way you ended this.
This is brilliant and horrible and beautiful and ugly all at once. Well done, my friend.
Sending good vibes!!!💖💖💕
I felt that! Sending hugs to you! ❤️❤️ 😢
Wow, talk about being stuck in a perpetual rat race of a groundhog day and life.
Ay caramba, how deep!
Wow, this is excellent. You really captured the dark side of humanity with a gut punch of reality! Well done, Heather!
WOW that was so deep on so many levels. So horribly beautiful, like an angel in dirty clothes!