The men who jellyfished their way
and tentacled with arid bitter hands
on budding breast and butts have left;
manured they stood and tried in vain
to say: “it’s just the way of men”
(it never was) and we will let them whisky
by themselves; aloned to let them firework
and wail at walls; we shut our ears;
enjoy a world where men can keep
their limbs from octopussing where they
don’t belong
From Wikimedia Commons
A little poem on verbing for my own prompt at toads. This is poem 29, my last one will be for my own prompt at dVerse today. Today is also my 6th anniversary on blogging.
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April 30, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
That is a such stellar close on the poem, Bjorn!❤️ I love the way “octopussing” forms on my tongue.. wow! 🙂
Nice little blurb in for the next to last, Bjorn. Congrats on the six year mark. I’ve had a busy weekend but like you Webbed my way through
Thanks for the fun prompt for today. I will laptop it together but am gong back to sleep now. It’s four AM here
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Reading your fine poem makes me think that we have evolved into pure puerile nouns — all subject (Me) with no objects. The exercise of verbing opens doors back into the world. When will those men grow a spine?
I think we should give up hope on the spineless… men and women alike…Shut the door and only let them in again when thei’ve grown a spine.
Congrats on six years, Bjorn! I like the sea creatures in this poem.
You say it as well as the best of the feminists. May there be one in the crowd you describe who will see and pull away.
“it’s just the way of men”
(it never was)
… this, I believe, is true and I haven’t thought of it like that until you brought it to attention. It’s perhaps even scarier that much of most men’s behaviour is learned – not man’s true nature.
We need to see that being man is something very different… and men should stand up to the spineless.
Thanks for what you do Bjorn.
And I’ve just taken note of the title: spineless …
Congratulations on your 6th year of blogging. Bravo on this fine poem. I agree. Away with spinelss, men and women both. You did an excellent job on your verbing. “Manured”…perfect.
You used “arid” twice in the second line.
This is why there will never be a better world — poor leadership. You cannot leave criminals alone to wail; you have to be a good person and care for the broken in some way, even when they’re sick in the head. The church especially has to stand up and find a way. Your approach will lead to as much destruction and pain as theirs.
My father was a pedophile. But because my mother prayed for him, forgave him, and helped him through his illness, he became a Christian and a better man in the last several years of his life. And you don’t know what those men experienced as children, how they were abused. It’s a horrifying cycle.
You are wrong about how to treat people, especially with mental illness. I hope people don’t follow your example. This isn’t what anyone needs.
Oh I was not thinking of mental illness at all… I was thinking about men who exercise power in ways we cannot accept. Very few of them have any mental illness…
I was the victim of a pedophile in our church who was prayed for by his wife and the minister, and quietly allowed to continue his terrible acts (crimes against children, as a matter of fact) for many decades, perhaps because people felt that prayer would eventually be enough. If he ever did become a better man through prayer, then this occurred too late for me and for countless other members of our children’s choir, over many years. Thank you, Bjorn, for what you have written here.
I was a victim of those as well. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be accountability. Certainly children should be kept safe, and this whole mess is disgusting. I’m just saying that even abusers need some sort of outreach.
As I meant with this poem I did not mean the sick people in need of treatment. I was referring to the people who just take what they can in their quest for power. That is an entirely different kind of quite normal men who just believes it’s their right….
Sorry. All your poems are great. I’ll keep my mouth shut.
my favourite verb here has to be “octopussing ”
much love…
Happy anniversary! I am so glad you started blogging! You enrich our lives. And I think this is an excellent poem.
hummmmm….what an interesting way with the prompt!
“enjoy a world where men can keep
their limbs from octopussing where they
don’t belong” Enjoyed your poem, wow, you did so well with the verbs! Loved your ending – too true 🙂
Thanks for your prompt, unique and fun.
Accept this bouquet of flowers, my good man.
This had me whooping for the joy and the laughter your invertebrate verbs evoked.
Brilliant, Bjorn. A perfect way to describe the men who do such things, and a great response to your own prompt.
Excellent verbing! Your ‘verbs’ really get the message across.
I’ve heard of men “jellyfishing” their words mostly. Nice Bjorn, thank you for the prompt. It was a little hard but fun for me.
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Congrats on the blog’oversary – a true accomplishment and I say, I always enjoy stopping in here and reading – for all kinds of reasons.
Thanks for the final prompt at Toads – it’s a real corker – but you’ve done a really great job with it here – and given the topic/content, and its own harshness, you’ve carried it off as if it was an easy feat! Hats off – you made it sound seamless, without losing the message of intent at all.
manured they stood & let them whiskey their way… both awesome. This was a fun prompt – thanks!
Brilliant verbing and a potent point made well
Love this line ‘…..and we will let them whisky
by themselves…’- nicely done!
Such great imagery and an uncomfortable read this one.
Wow! This is wonderful verbing, Bjorn. So many good lines. Congrats on six years!