We often look at the world through the lenses we’re sold: progress, growth, and stability. But what happens when the lens cracks?
In today’s prompt, I’m taking a page from the Whitman school of defiance—not just observing the world, but interrogating it. Using the “Truth Mirror” concept, we step away from the polished marketing of our modern oligarchy and look at the raw, jagged architecture of power. Felix finds himself at a vending machine that doesn’t just offer a book, but a terrifyingly honest reflection of where we stand.
The streetlamp flickered, casting Felix’s shadow against the rusted Liber-Vend 5000. He didn’t want a thriller; he wanted a revolution. As his coins clicked into the slot, the glass didn’t provide a book. It dissolved.
The vending machine became a Truth Mirror, revealing a city where skyscrapers are sentient vultures and the sky is a bruised corporate purple. Below, the masses move with mouths stitched shut by golden thread. Felix pulled his pen like a dagger.
The Architecture of Silence
All I see are tyrants,
vast with environments.
Bending rules to meet their compliance,
while the masses stay silent.
And the writers wait for a time when,
the people see the truths bend,
And start to form their own plans
for a new world.
This 44-word Quadrille was inspired by the idea of an observer making remarks about the corporate oligarchy embedded in our government. I wanted to channel a Whitman-esque defiance but through a modern, spoken-word lens.
If you’re joining from dVerse, I’d love to see how you “embody the landscape” of your own city in 44 words. Does your mirror show you a garden, or a machine?
The Challenge:This challenge is about seeking the truth and facing it honestly.
- Write a poem of exactly 44 words (not including the title).
- You must use the word “silence” somewhere in the piece.
- Optional Twist: Imagine your observer is looking through a “Truth Mirror”—what does the world really look like behind the corporate veil?
Thank you for visiting with me. For more Poetry or Literature related content, visit my blog at The Ritual.
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