Short poem LIFE IN THE DEGENERATE WEST in Genghis Lotus Poetry Collection, a selection of poems free to read online. Webmaster for this site is poet Hugh Cook, born in Britain, educated in New Zealand, and the author of, amongst other works, the fantasy series Chronicles of an Age of Darkness.

This poem gives us a look at how things used to be, back in the days of the degnerate West, before the rise of the Caliphate and the imposition of the New Order. Remember those days? The cocaine orgies, the nine-day drunks and the romps with complaisant monkeys? Remember the injectable budgerigars? No? Well, maybe you were too young.

LIFE IN THE DEGENERATE WEST

Before the purifications of the Caliphate,
Life in the degenerate West
Was a carnival of the aberrant.
We mainlined toilets,
Got drunk on fermented sputum
And bowed down in worship to our television sets.
Now we are ramrod,
Our lives setsquare,
The calipers of a perfect circle
Domineering us.
In our achieved utopia
We have abandoned our melting lipstick,
Our octopus cavorting,
And live clean,
Waking to the Alhambras of prayer
In a world
Where every horizon enjoys the grace of Mecca.

Copyright © 2005, 2007 Hugh Cook
May be photocopied for classroom use

Genghis Lotus
short poems
Genghis Lotus
school poems
Genghis Lotus
city poems
Genghis Lotus
nature poems
Genghis Lotus
war poems
Genghis Lotus
cancer poems
Genghis Lotus
death poems
Genghis Lotus
other poems
Table of Contents
Alphabetical Index
of Titles and Topics
Cover Art
for Printed Book
Purchase Details
Paperback Book
or US $5 PDF file

top

Terms of Use
Click to Read