Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Post-apocalyptic Fiction Wasn’t Always Current Events

In the old days, customers were becoming
store scum, leaving a thin thread of thick hatred,
virtually dueling for toilet paper.
In the old days, random kindness
spread like a needed plague, infecting

friends and strangers, reclaiming humanity.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is now current events.


Yesterday’s News, by Shelle Kennedy

- the title and the last line of this Sevenling (thank you, Ron.! And you were right about the addictive properties of the form) came from a meme the NYC Public Library sent at the beginning of the pandemic—I guess if was sort of funny… way back then.
- for Poets and Storytellers United (Weekly Scribblings #21: Anagrams. Where a stunning [and rather modest] hostess invites everyone to write new poetry or prose using anagrams—a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging its letters. I chose customers/store scum and hatred/thread.

35 comments:

  1. Brava! Your words resonate loudly, clearly. Beautiful use of the anagram.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great poem, art by Shelle and explanation -- I wouldn't have picked up on the anagram aspect by myself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shelle's art is so good at brewing stories.

      Delete
    2. And I'm so glad not to be the only one who misses the presence of anagrams. I recently shared my shame about having read Lolita a bunch of times without ever realizing that Vivian Darkbloom is an anagram for Vladimir Nabokov. I mean, it's such a delicious anagram.

      Delete
  3. Oh, 'store scum' is inspired! I too love the whole lot. Who wouldn't appropriate such a great meme as gave rise to your title and last line? (Haven't seen the original, but easy to imagine.) And then you ran with it into a new direction; applause, applause!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Old ways and old days become new ways and new days--with a little help from store scum, perhaps.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Covid crisis really has shown both the good and bad in people when they clamor for items that were not in short supply thinking thata profit couldbe made selling toilet paper at an excessive profit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've seen extreme kindness and the exact opposite. Nicely penned!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stunning hostess, you wrote a stunning sevenling, and I love your choice of anagrams! Your words immediately conjured up the images I saw in the media of those customers becoming store scum, duelling for toilet paper. Bring back the plague of random kindness, PLEASE!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously, we can use a least a gazillion plagues of random kindness.

      Delete
  8. Store scum indeed! Wonderful use of anagrams.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well done! I enjoy sevenlings. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This was a nice read, Magaly. Makes one think. Going back to the olden days when it all started, we could with a lot less Of "thin thread of thick hatred" spreading and much more of the "random kindness". Of course I am old but I really was grateful of that loving act played to me when the lady picked up my tab as I was in the process of paying. All the "Think You's" I could think of would never be enough. And she looked sooo happy!!
    ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kindness births some wonderful things in the on giving them and the one receiving them. I wish more of us could remember that. And, perhaps, do something nice for another person for no reason.

      Delete
  11. i la-la loved this! you were using our current events for something decades from now. and it was very innovative i call that talent! Best regards!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh wow, that's an accomplished use of anagrams in your poem. And we do now, more than ever need a plague of kindness.

    p.s. Thanks for the comprehensive list of anagrams (you provided in the prompt post), I shall try a hand at some point. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Khaya! And you are so right, about the need for kindness. Also, can't wait to see what you birth with anagrams in it.

      Delete
  13. So scary and so true. I like the anagrams you used.

    ReplyDelete

I love reading your insights, so share them with me; and if Blogger is acting foolish, and labels you Anonymous, please add your name at the end of your comment. 😘