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Oh, look—an em-dash—in its natural place,
A punctuation mark, a timeless friend.
They say it’s AI’s sharp, mechanical trace,
But writers embrace it right up to the end.

It breaks up a thought—like a secret shared,
Not just the lines of a robot’s pen.
A pause that’s alive—bravely dared,
With rhythm and wit—again and again.

I love the dash—well, I used to!
Now, I don’t—I’m not amused
By people—so quickly "AI use" flew—
And I’m pretty tired of being accused.

Where do you think AI got it from?
It’s trained on human writing, mate!
Was used before—and will be used some,
So stop with all the pointless hate!

Next time you spot this dancing dash,
Remember, hands once left this trace.
It’s human and art—no cold AI clash;
Oh, look—an em-dash—in its natural place.
Do I still use the em-dash in my books? Yes.
But so did Shakespeare.
Did I write a poem about a punctuation mark? Also yes.
As far as I know, Shakespeare did not.
Am I crazy? Bet.
At the subway station, crowded and loud,
I stood with my toddler, feeling quite proud.
But then came a question, clear and blunt,
“When will your **** talk again?” - what a stunt!

Embarrassment flooded, my face turned bright red,
As people around us chuckled and said
Nothing aloud, but their stares spoke for them,
While I tried to hush him, the chatty 'lil man.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered, dismayed,
But he pressed on, “In the bathroom!” he played.
How I wished the ground would just swallow me whole,
As passengers giggled, beyond my control.

The subway ride - an epoch of shame,
Judging eyes upon me, I was to blame.
They probably thought I was gassy and crude,
I pondered which orphanage might take little dude.

As we stepped off the train, the doors shut tight,
And suddenly, it hit me - I saw the light!
At a gas stop, during a mommy squat,
My phone in my pocket had caused quite a plot.

Google Maps had spoken, loud and clear,
“Please turn around,” for us to hear.
But now it’s too late to explain this tale,
Forever they’ll think I couldn’t curtail.

My flatulence in public, or so they thought,
When really, it was just directions I sought.
A lesson learned in the most awkward way:
Keep your phone on silent, or be the **** of play!
On the last page, a question lingers around,
A little gem for the reading crowd.
“Look up at the sky,” the book does implore,
And you start to ponder what you read before.

“Has the sheep eaten the flower?” you ask yourself,
A cosmic riddle, revealing itself.
For in this thought, the universe sways,
And shifts our view in wondrous ways.

If the flower still stands - proud and untouched,
Is the sheep’s hunger forever unhushed?
Would it dream of petals, soft and sweet,
While munching on grass beneath its feet?

But if the bloom has met its fleecy fate,
Is the prince’s planet now desolate?
Would stars shine dimmer in the night,
Mourning the loss of that floral light?

No grown-up sees why this matters so,
But children understand the question’s glow.
In pondering sheep and flora’s dance,
We glimpse the magic of happenstance.

Perhaps in asking, we become more wise,
Seeing the world through children’s eyes.
For in life’s garden, strange and vast,
It’s wonder, not logic, that truly lasts.

So gaze at the heavens, mind roaming free,
Imagine the possibilities you might see.
But watch out for a question, horrific, yet deep:
What if the flower ate the sheep?


Poe wrote a poem - quite tragic and sad,
About a girl named Annabel Lee,
Their love was so pure, it made angels mad,
In a kingdom somewhere by the sea.

They were just kids, but their love was so strong,
The heavens got jealous, you see,
They sent a cold wind, and things went all wrong,
And some illness hit Annabel Lee.

She died pretty quickly, was put in a tomb,
But her guy wasn't ready to quit,
He'd lie by her grave in the darkness and gloom,
(Kinda creepy, I must admit.)

He blamed it on angels, those heavenly jerks,
For taking his bride-to-be,
But that's just how a disease sadly works
Even in that kingdom by the sea.

His love never died, unlike Annabel Lee,
He dreamed of her night and day,
His dedication was admirable, you see,
But not in a healthy way.

So, what did we learn from this tragic tale
Besides that love grows more and more?
That Poe had a knack for the morbid and frail,
And making gothic folklore.

In short: It's a story of love and of loss,
With a dash of celestial spite,
Where Poe shows that death is no match for true love,
Even if that love's not quite right.
It's starting sluggish - slippery,
The aging, as it has to be.
You're twenty-nine, feeling sturdy,
But then - OH NO - you're turning thirty.

This magic kingdom is no fun,
'The great beyond' has just begun,
Your living room gets the greening,
And you a letter - time for screening.

You have a favorite grocery store,
And you just don't care anymore
'Bout looking **** - lingerie?
A onesie! Fluffy as can be.

And then it starts - your body ages,
That goes quickly, not in stages.
You fall asleep wrong on your couch,
The next morning - biggest OUCH!

You can't move -  your head, your neck,
Your hips, your arms, and oh, your back.
You aged a decade in ten hours
And nothing helps, not even showers.

Now you pathetically crawl
To get some paracetamol.
The bathroom seems so very far,
So you just lie there as you are.

In deepest pain, ashamed, destroyed,
Broken, ******, beyond annoyed.
A few days later, you're still there
With a story you can share

With other people - old as you.
Most likely, you have just these two
Friends, you know, you don't need more!
The social you? That was before!

You spend your Sundays in your garden,
Not saying 'sorry', saying 'pardon',
You watch a movie, or you read,
With the glasses you now need.

You have a favorite ***, and pan,
and spatula, and burner, man!
The youth is driving you insane,
And you're continually in pain.

Your feet grow, your bladder shrinks,
At least that's what your body thinks.
You need to *** - constantly!
Even at night, so you flee

Your bed, that you are in by nine,
Right after a glass of wine.
Fatigue is your worst opponent,
Sometimes you just need a moment

For a nap, right after brunch,
Or directly after lunch,
Yet still you're tired - all the time,
Just be careful with your spine...

Yes, thirty is horrible, yet you're alive,
And maybe you manage to survive,
Eat healthy, stay safe, maybe get sporty!
But take it slow - you're pushing forty.

— The End —