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In our voyeuristic ambivalence
In our savage pacifism
With bureaucratic diarrhea

We **** on Lady Liberty
And wipe our *****
With the Constitution
I almost forgot about you today. A sizable
spill of coffee shot me to my feet, holding
up my mocha-soaked notebook like an
unclaimed child. A dozen eyes found
me at once---a security measure meant
to bring shame to a klutz breaking his
social contract. Attention for **** living.
When the pain receded I stood in place
and imagined you brushing your teeth.
Laughter should be happy
but instead, it's bitter and unwanted
uncared for and unneeded
because who wants laughter when it's fake?

Laughter should be cherished
because you never know when it could end
when something inside you dies
and then who wants a dead man?

Laughter should be protected
because people will try to hurt it
to make it stop so they can feel good
and then their laughter rings out bitterly.

Laughter shouldn't be lonely
it should be spent with a friend
not ignored by staring at a screen
instead of focusing on the laughter of those around you

Laughter should be joyous
but behind a mask are thoughts
and those thoughts lead to doubts
and then that laughter is a disguise for pain

Laughter should be happy
but instead, it's bitter and unwanted
uncared for and unneeded
Because who wants laughter when it's fake?
 Jan 2018 Michaela Murasky
luis
is poetry really something you think about

like, can this be considered poetry?
me, here

sitting at a computer screen
typing words ever so

conversationally

this reads less like a poem
and more like a speech
or perhaps, like a friend
telling you their day over coffee
and I bet right now you can smell the roasted beans
the air, thick with the smell of caffeine, whipped cream,
possibly a cigar or two

and you hear the voice of your best friend
who's telling you about their day

how they had it rough that day
Ben from accounting really knew how to ruin a day, let me tell you
or perhaps,
someone just spilled coffee all over their notes while they were studying

and as much as fifty apologies can mend a relationship,
fifty apologies can't dry up your english notes

can we really consider this kind of stuff poetry?
it's completely free-form
against the norm,
little to no rhyme or structure
no substance whatsoever

just a mindless person rambling about things that seem ever so slightly relatable

is this really poetry?

probably not.
i literally spent all of 0 minutes thinking about this please don't enjoy

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