kelber rhythms

Some day--
if they have their way--
the sun will be a holy
and soully-
owned subsidiary
of All Power, Unlimited.
With franchises and outlets
for sunrises and sunsets.
Energy metered by each pulse and twitch,
monitored and controlled by a master switch.
Capable of blotting out a summer high noon
or putting neon lights on the dark side of the moon.
Laser beams and death rays ready for use
for wars and rebellions or whatever excuse.
If it’s good for the Company and perhaps the State,
Every surcharge will be accepted as appropriate.
The Company will post new rules and new rates
about which there can be no debate:
There’ll be no light
unless the price is right.
You’ll have to stand in line
for your share of shine.
There’ll be extra tolls
and they’ll toll for thee.
We’ve attained our goal:
There’s nothing free.
And no complaints, please,
if you don’t want to freeze.
We’ll say it in rhythm
and repeat it in rhyme:
“We’ve got the power to fuel
all of the people all of the time.”

 --Harry Kelber

The septad is a poetic form I created, somewhat similar to the Japanese haiku. It consists of 28 syllables, arranged in seven staggered lines. It can employ rhyme, rhythm, alliteration and assonance. It can compress a range of ideas and emotions into snapshots, establishing quick, intimate contact with the reader. Harry Kelber

Reflections in Septads
1.
Scars
of wars
shame losers
to fight again.
The scars of winners
are badges of honor.
Wars. Scars. War. Scars, War. Scars. War.

2.
The sky over the White House
is dark with birds thrashing;
the Potomac, choked
with fish gasping:
Give us clean
water,
air!

3.
In
the land
of the free,
winners do well:
they feed on losers.
Losers complain freely.
Winners, free, keep on feeding.

4.
Polls
tell us
who we are,
what we’re doing,
what we ought to be.
Fever charts seduce us.
We become their merchandise.

5.
Can
we have
change without
conflict? Conflict
without violence?
Violence without wars?
If only we could change change!

6.
Slick,
hard-sell
know-it-alls
tell us how to
eat, dress, play, work, love,
get programmed for success,
pity contented failures.

7.
Lies.
Big, small,
white, black lies.
We live on lies.
Lies do the world’s work.
Truth is stunned, shunned, scarred, scared
by pushy, pragmatic lies.

8.
Guns
are for
anybody
who wants to kill--
crime or self-defense.
Freely pick your target.
Kill big and become famous.

9.
Killers teach us strange place names.
Without their butchery,
how else would we know
Hiroshima,
Vietnam,
Auschwitz,
Hell?

10.
From
space ships
lasering
black galaxies,
our children’s children
may spot our scorched, dead Earth.
How shall they remember us?