i am in line
it’s a long line even though there are plenty
of registers open and i think when the young woman….
——
My poem in the line is available to read at the Tupelo 30/30 project page.
Three days left, three days left. Man, the month really flew by, eh?
Words and Feathers 
I can’t find it. You sure that it posted?
It’s there under day 27. It didn’t get posted until this morning. Also, there was a typo in the poem’s title in this post. the title is just “in the line.”
It’s there now. “what did i steal today”? You captured a lot of the tension and struggle we have with the actions of others vs. honesty with ourselves.. BTW, isn’t “bullshit” all one word, or was that intentional?
I did break it up on purpose, though I’m not convinced it’s worth the cognitive load.
Thought provoking, those last lines. How often do we not speak up for one reason or another….?
Thank you.
I love this for lots of reasons, but I’m especially partial to that notion of challenging ourselves in the very moment we feel we’ve done better than someone else — of asking ourselves where our snap judgments come from, and whether they’re as warranted as we’re conditioned to think they are. Though your narrator doesn’t claim to have a complete answer to his self-critical question, “What did I steal today?” I get the sense that his desire to do and be better is authentic, which I find commendable.
Still, I’m left wanting him to go back inside the store and put back that “eyeful” he stole!
This one refuses to take the easy way out, which I think is the reason it resonates so well with the likes of me!
This was one of the better poems, I agree. I’ve been listening to audiobooks about cognitive biases and it’s making me question how I react to the world, thought I think I’ve always been a cynic and a fatalist. I’m glad you liked this one too.
I finally gave a table for my typewriter so I’ll be able to work on your (and Bob’s) poem. I don’t have any white out. Just warning you.
This is my favorite of your 30-30 poems. Pushed a lot of buttons. Well done!
Thanks so much. I felt there was a lot of emotion compressed in this one. If only I knew how to do that consistently.
When you find out, let me know! 🙂
From my penthouse on the top of the world.