Bully
By Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum
You don’t need to read the story
to know how it ends — some kid
made an example, pulled by his feet
around the room, mouth shoved with socks
like a Christmas stocking —
And you can share the “news,”
and talk about how if you were there
and talk about how I —
And you can tell me how no matter what —
Pretend I don’t go on.
Pretend you don’t make me.
Keep looking away at the right moments.
Keep cheering when it’s time to cheer.
Keep saying you’re upset and do nothing.
Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum has been a member of the 2007 World Champion Philly Youth Slam Team, the founder and organizer of the first ever Boston Youth Poetry Slam Team in 2008, and most recently served as a coach and member of the Brandeis Slam Team, the only first year team to qualify for the semi finals of the 2009 College Union Poetry Slam Invitational. He has performed at the 2008 Dodge Poetry Festival, the Wisconsin Book Festival and the New Jersey Hip Hop Action Summit.
Excellent. Recently experienced just that moral dilemna. Shamed myself. Excellent expression. Perfectly brief.
Greatly enjoyed introduction to Robert Wynne’s Baker’s Sonnet. If one looks at the form– ABA/BCD/CDE/FE/FA –it could seem as though poetry created according to this formula may sound contrived.
This, however, is not the case in either of Mr. Wynne’s sonnets: “Moss Responds” and “Morning (with Paranoia.)” Phrases/sentences often flow beyond the 13 syllable line limit, which contributes to a more organic/internal sense of rhyme.
One of these days, this usually free-verse and haiku gal is inspired to take on the challenge of created her own Baker’s Sonnet!