hence immediately this birdman
wishes to escape into his eyrie
or seriously considers joining a nunnery
mainly for the less common slang definition
cuz yes, “nunnery”
sometimes used ironically to refer to a brothel,
and this secondary meaning
may well have added
a bitter undercurrent
to Hamlet's proceedings.

Whether interacting with the wife
(wielding a heavy duty iron skillet
and ready to clobber me one
******* me noggin),
or either the eldest
or youngest daughter,
or even women I text
thru Facebook Messenger
in record time without breaking a sweat
yours truly can immediately
generate antagonistic reactions
all the while playing innocent and coy,
and nonchalantly humming to himself
while he doth figuratively amble along
the boulevard of broken dreams
(even if body electric of mine
sitting stock still in a seat)
drumming his fingers atop the table
passing time with insouciant whistle.

Countless attempts
and dog awful experiences
courtesy answering or posting
classified personal advertisements
arranging for myself, a quasi blind date
immediately at first blush
managed to incite instantaneously hate
essentially because - lame excuse
I came to the dating game late,
(when in mine
twenty first or second year
this then Norwegian bachelor farmer
went out on his metaphorical
maiden voyage rendezvous
with a sage gal,
who shared same birthday -
but six years older
(January thirteenth) as mine
lacking grooming skills or spit and polish,
indicative of ship shop shape
the writer of these words
even laughable as a bench warmer,
though getting familiar to balance and swing
and as a prime time player wannabe
easily and quickly mistaken for a charlatan
made apparent when I went out
with one after another gal,
whose heart of mine
did powerfully palpitate
while struggling to express affection
(blurting premature ejaculations
laced with verbalized hormonal secretions)
courtesy awkward tête-à-tête,
which rather juvenile spluttering utterances
hashtagged me lacking social graces.

Schizoid personality disorder
characterized by Individuals
with said disorder
exhibit a persistent tendency
toward social isolation
and a lack of desire
for close relationships,
often preferring solitary activities
and showing little interest
in intimate relationships
or social interactions,
which describes my outward to a “T”
profoundly pronounced
during formative impressionable years
of boyhood, adolescence
and emerging adulthood
essentially impeding healthy development
of body, mind and spirit,
and most like stunting physical,
mental and spiritual maturation
necessitating psychiatric
and psychological services
during his puberty
(disrupted, hijacked, and limned
courtesy anorexia nervosa)
no matter he lacked
participation and responsiveness
toward Theodore Goldberg
then linkedin with
Collegeville Counseling facility
early nineteen seventies.

because you watch
and see that democracy will unspool
military (intelligent)
industrial complex tool
at Trump's beck and call,
where hardened soldiers
train the crosshairs of their firearms
against innocent bystanders,
especially targeting
supposedly nonestablishmentarians
(like this rebel without a clause),
who embraces win/win conflict resolution
shouting thru a megaphone
while standing atop a toady stool,
hence deployment of National Guard troops
doth adumbrate military rule
presaging a violent future,
where blood will pool
renting asunder complex edifice
once upon a time,
(perhaps such story a myth)
housing the land of the free
and home of the brave newel
allowing, enabling and providing,
a metaphorical stairway to heaven
initially linkedin to Lemuel
metaphysically meaning Godward,
but interpreted by this atheist
analogous to traversing steps
that become ever more steep
challenging one to climb
toward priceless crowning jewel.

Martial law on the near horizon,
where the grateful dead souls wake
(me up when September ends)
courtesy thunder of war
and trumpeting brass
faint echoes of
"Always Ready, Always There,"
where usurpers, and traitors of freedom take
away vaunted, and cherished inalienable rights
soundcloud heard increasing in volume
amidst the shimmering waves of heat
radiating off the scorched earth policy
to destroy leaves of grass
fomenting civilians to take up arms
witnessing aggressive suppression
fighting machine launched
deliberately creating chaotic eruption
loosing hostility across earth, wind and fire
while Doobie Brothers smoking a joint
nasty brutes attacking
erroneously hashtagging those accused
of jump/kick starting purported upheaval
when thugs the real lawless culprits
no matter majority
of ordinary people helpless, defenseless
impossible mission to escape
onslaught of fired tear gas
towards peaceful protesters,
where life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness
for all living things great and small
smoldering after burning at the stake.

Another American Civil War in the offing
in this case pitting the fruit of the loom
narcissistic dictator wannabe
against what the commander in chief
refers to as losers,
those enlisted men and women,
who voluntarily gave
the full measure of their lives
not only at Gettysburg,
but fourscore and seven years prior
to thwart tyrannical treatment imposed
by King George III of Great Britain
and Ireland during
the American Revolution.

His policies and actions are widely
seen as contributing
to the growing tensions
that led to the conflict.

Now the forty seventh president
set on a demolition course
obliterating any vestige
of those founders field of dreams
risking life and limb
to dare shuck off the shackles
of monarchical British rule,
and would be rolling in their graves
if they could witness the travesty
of monomaniacal hegemony
of one self proclaimed demagogue
for life dead set
on annexation of Greenland
(the world's largest island
which is not a continent),
an autonomous territory
controlled by Denmark
chock a block flush and rife
with exploitation of mining
for rare earth minerals, uranium and iron.

to genus and species of **** sapiens,
(who trod across oblate spheroid
since time immemorial
as well as other simians -
classed as naked apes -
and now I enclose a bit of esoteric trivia,
whereby chimpanzee and the bonobo
our closest living relatives
share a surprisingly high percentage
of their DNA with humans,
estimated to be around 98.7-98.8%)
seek a significant counterpart
sought among their respective members,
(whether of the same or opposite gender),
in my case heterosexual partner preferred
within the human league
and of late acceded to friend requests
on Facebook messenger,
one of many social media platforms
to curry potential platonic friendships
between myself, a married, Caucasian
a lapsed Malthusian, nonestablishmentarian,
and Unitarian heterosexual,
who enjoys intelligent conversation
parrying and thrusting with wit and wisdom

Though a solitudinarian, a flickering
pulse of primal atavistic call of the wild
snakes thru the reptilian brain of mine
buzzfeeding erogenous zones
snapchatting across axons and neurons
inducing randiness to shutterfly and twitter
arousing the trouser snake to slither and slide
getting ready to pounce and make an ambush,
where Tiny Tim tiptoes thru the tulips.

Concupiscence at this stage in the game of life
(heading into my sixty seventh journey
around the sun January thirteenth,
nineteen hundred and twenty six)
nipped in the bud courtesy
(side effects) one or more
of the following nine
prescription medications
(to temper anxiety, dysthymia,
obsessive compulsive,
and palmar hyperhidrosis)
ingested on a daily basis:
BUSPIRONE TAB 15 MG 2X DAILY,
CLOMIPRAMINE CAP 50 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
CLONAZEPAM TAB 0.5 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
FLUOXETINE CAP 80 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
GLYCOPYRROLATE TAB 2 MG 4X DAILY,
PRAZOSIN HCL CAP 1 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
PRAZOSIN HCL CAP 5 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
RISPERIDONE TAB 1 MG 1X NIGHTLY,
ROPINIROLE TAB 2MG 1X NIGHTLY.

Back in the day
when the onset of hormonal secretion
analogous to a raging torrent,
an ******* occurred
at the most inopportune times
namely when I needed
(actually volunteered)
to stand up in front of the classroom
expatiating in a profoundly nasal voice
(courtesy submucous cleft palate -
essentially a split uvula)
or gingerly exiting the classroom,
especially upon getting excited
espying a girl I felt infatuated toward,
thus carried books
and school supplies
to hide any self evident
warm prickling sensations.
Aghast at juvenile predilections of mine,
I let ****** fantasies run rampant
(texting and sexting females
young enough to be my daughter)
despite being legally bound and linkedin
to a marital covenant
obliging me to forswear
unrequited love when
at the prime of my life,
yet ******* clad photographs
of young fecund women
(a fraction of my
threescore and six years)
overpower sense and sensibility
without pride and prejudice
knowing at heart
such endeavors to foster
discreet liaison with fecund females
on par with a fool's errand.

until courtesy amazing grace interceded
in the doggone guise
of Canis lupus familiaris
unwittingly timely deliverance
videre licet as an unconditionally loving
emotional support animal.

Emotional and financial crucifixion
synonymous with being
figuratively nailed to the cross
or flayed into a ****** pulp,
which damning punishment
linkedin to joint checking account
being ****** dry as an arid desert
by a criminal hopefully
he/she gets their comeuppance
for usurper(s)
of our joint checking account funds
whose activity at an ATM machine
located at West Ridge Street Lansford Pa
helped her/himself exuding glee
and cashed out monies
subsequently accruing
an attached surcharge of three dollars
plus an overdraft fee of $35.00,
which duplicated transactions
for $203.50, $303.50
occurred on the following days:
May 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2025,
and if any unsuspecting observer
witnessed she/he walking
with stuffed pockets bulging with cash
please inform me
as soon as possible
so just desserts
can be meted out
not because I consider myself vindictive,
but yours truly (me)
experienced financial hardship,
which crisis nearly
sent me to the poor house
and/or a mental state hospital.
Courtesy intercession
re: fluke of the universe
turned the figurative
tables on miscreant
punishing series of unfortunate events
rescinded at the eleventh hour
the reprieve granted
courtesy lenient judge
who mistook me for a sinner
in the hands of an angry dog,
which accursed fate of mine unexpectedly
blessed with good luck
from the aforementioned canine
actually a bank **** in disguise,
he took me under his paw
and made no bones
about offering me accommodations
good and plenty of room
spacious doghouse despite puppies galore,
who romped around the greensward
becoming excellent at sports
climbing, frolicking,
and jumping over hurdles
(trained by none other than
the celebrated Jumping Frog
of Calaveras County)
surrounding the custom built dog house,
which domicile more like a mansion.

Sirius lee, I
(an infinitesimal speck in the cosmos –
veritably insignificant in the schema of things,
and buzzfeeding with a healthy helping
of existential nihilism),
nevertheless thank my lucky stars
for unseen small medium forces at large
that righted a wrong,
and to summarily recap
the debacle triggering a major crisis
with entrusted finances,
which found one Beatle browed,
foo fighting beastie boy
descending into the figurative
abysmal pit of despair
with a horrific prospect of becoming homeless
along with the missus
after an unbeknownst person
exhibited chutzpah and moxie
expunged, cashed out, and accessed
without sense and sensibilities every red cent
prompting me, a Citizen Banker
to rage against the machine
rivaling the wrath of King Kong
when he pounds his chest and bellows.

analogous to where
the fountainhead of knowledge
gushes forth unstoppable
as a result after Atlas shrugged
his head and shoulders
loosing bits of esoteric material
(and hairs - i.e. fluff
as the spouse would say
caught up in the shower drain)
handy dandy blue's clues
deemed more valuable
then fine spun gold
retrieved with tweezers
filaments randomly stitched
into indestructible raiment
and remaining threads
woven into tapestry,
where weft and warp webbing
traded on eBay to the highest bidder,
whereat a veritable warehouse
of timeless tomes
erected like a walled fortress
to keep out neighbors
that tend to be a bit frosty.

Linkedin and synonymous
with stretching intellect
(to the breaking point) ecstasy
doth arise buzzfeeding
sixty plus shades
of gray matter
constituting soul asylum
analogous to a ******
desperately hankering to get a fix
knowledge my drug of choice
impossible mission to get enough
cause the more I learn
the greater the appetite
for cerebral consumption.

Ever since becoming
an emerging adult
(approximately my half-life ago)
drenching cerebral tissue
courtesy reading material galore
stoked hot spots of noggin
deliverance videre licet I did exult
some may hashtag me
as being haughty
being quick to insult
a run of the mill logophile
truth be told born
into a learned bookish environment
I eschewed bourgeoisie
and voluntarily naturally gravitated
toward chattering class
comfortably mixing with hoi polloi
but prudent not to downplay midcult.

Yours truly doth not seek to impress
nor necessarily exclude anyone
from the prospect of befriending her/him
nevertheless, I make at least one exception
to the above declaration and countenance
sparring with profoundly
literate and eloquent people
adroit with a clever
punishing turns of phrases,
thus specific pleasure
derived from reading
not linkedin to bragging rights,
but strictly associated
with expanding my vocabulary
and becoming knowledgeable
about various and sundry subjects
that piqued curiosity of mine.
Ofttimes the penchant
to while away hours
engrossed with reading
a well crafted story
(although I do enjoy perusing biographies
couched within historical fiction
and gleaning historical context
about the era of the respective author),
but whether fiction or factual
the might English words
themselves exhibit entrances me,
a veritable logophile,
who could even find pleasure
plodding thru a dictionary
with absolute zero ennui,
and learning the etymology
constituting designation governing
how we interpret the webbed wide world
and remembrance of things past
within the realm of being human.

I decided to title my piece
a concatenation of a few different notions
incorporating fictional romance
alluding to myself and spouse
in conjunction with hybridization
stemming from vague references
to tried and true value
tangentially sparring with Cinderella
but giving the following
free verse poem a slight twist and shout.

I take the liberty to contrive
a fictional tale of make believe
where faux royalty
née monarchical rule
encompassed great swaths of land
long before Lower Merion
coalesced into an enclave
and concentration of wealthy MainLiners,
which kingdom or fiefdom of Europeans
more or less duplicated
the type of government
from the so called old country
allocating the then sparse population
into a hierarchy or pecking order
where arranged marriages
sealed the fate of those
most aggressive to dominate
those people rather submissive and meek,
whose role became passive and subservient
to the dominant and overbearing
dons trumpeting might is right.  

The princess of Penn Valley
and the pauper of Collegeville
unbeknownst to each other,
(though they lived approximately
twenty miles from each other,
each existed hundreds of years apart),
nevertheless they would meet and marry
five months later predicated on pastiche
tenuously linkedin to
the Victorian era and the Modernist period
a daughter born to first time mother.

Iniquities heaped
upon head of Penn Valley princess...,
whose brutish, nasty
and short twisted sisters
relentlessly tormented their sibling
then out of desperation,
she wed Peter Peter pumpkin eater,
who kept her in a pumpkin shell.

Just by chance I happened
to hear the quiet lament
a damsel in distress
surreptitiously signaled knight
whose newborn baby
suckling at the ample *****
one shining armor,
yours truly himself donned role
though hashtagged as pawn,
he convinced said lass
to accept unconditionally
unbridled love his hands
grasping those soft fingers
of a young mother with innocence,
yet full of wisdom
beyond scant seventeen years a
slave in the role
of scullery maid ****** courtesy
when one generation
prior to another
one poor lass barely out
of childhood when a series
of unfortunate events -
found lass gravid
with child automatically denying
only scant opportunities
for escaping mean vicious
cycle, thus unbeknownst
to chivalrous brave heart
fictionalized as the writer
of these words me, whose
overzealous overactive imagination
expounded one being born
hundreds of years ago,
when bulk of folks agrarian
at a time when many
if not most civilizations and
their discontents
could never have foreseen
nor believe as an eye witness
time traveler reported
videre licet onset of The now
Fifth Industrial Revolution
(5IR), also known as
Industry 5.0 represents
a new phase of industrialization
characterized by the harmonious collaboration
between humans
and advanced technologies,
particularly AI and robotics.

It builds upon the
Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0),
focusing on a more human-centric approach,
increased resilience, and a stronger emphasis
on sustainability.

This shift emphasizes
the importance of human creativity and skills
alongside machine capabilities, aiming
for greater societal well-being.

Key aspects of the Fifth Industrial Revolution:
Human-Machine Collaboration:
The core concept is the integration
of human intelligence and skills
with the speed, productivity,
and consistency of machines.

Sustainability:
5IR prioritizes environmental
and societal impact, moving
beyond purely economic value
to encompass broader concepts
like human well-being.

Cognitive Intelligence:
The rise of advanced AI,
particularly technologies like GPT models,
is a driving force in this revolution,
leading to the creation of cognitive partners
that can augment human capabilities.

Focus on Human-Centeredness:
5IR aims to create a more
human-centric approach to technology,
ensuring that it serves the needs
of people and society,
rather than the other way around.

Increased Resilience:
The ability of systems to adapt
and recover from disruptions
is a key aspect of 5IR,
particularly in areas
like supply chains and manufacturing.

Earlier this merry month of May
a goniff who possibly did gossip
about his/her surreptitious exploits
when he/she brazenly
accessed ATM machine
situated at 13 West Ridge Street
Lansford Pennsylvania 18232
pulled off outright theft
found him/herself
in possession of debit card
with Mastercard logo
(I deduce mail meant for us -
particularly the missus
got sent to incorrect address)
unknown person took liberty
considered themselves blessed
a golden opportunity
became their manifest destiny
initially linkedin to activate debit card
immediately afterward acquired access
to monies in our joint account
and stuffed their pockets with moolah
belonging to yours truly and the missus
he/she blithely devolved
into criminal mind,
nevertheless mischievous person
had themselves a handy dandy
blue's clues field day
when they considered
him/herself lucky duck
emptied checking account
(belonging to sexagenarian
husband and wife, and as the former
generally identified victim)
can attest to electronic record identified
espying online account in question
with erroneous withdrawn funds
incorporating a half dozen transactions -
instantaneously rendered me penniless,
the writer of these words
matter of fact pondered joining dead souls,
and rider in the emotional storm
hankered for eternal peace
proffered courtesy "Spiritus Mundi,"
I suddenly felt compelled
to renounce living social
and (despite lack of life insurance)
capitulate to the afterlife,
yet restraint and being
support animal of the wife
checked impulse to surrender
on a wing and a prayer
to the divine cosmic force
ideally for monetary salvation,
where upon the countless rungs
of each heavenly stair,
presented a daunting task
nevertheless these little feet
of mine tirelessly climbed
every mountainous step
attempting to reach the elusive summit
in sum re: experienced a spring in mine gait
with subsequent ascendent footstep
taken with increased vim and vigor
as if being buoyed forth,
perhaps invisible strings
controlled me as a marionette
ascending closer to another
lightness of finally being
no longer discombobulated
nor distressed simian
gifted with eternal blessedness
to behold the infinite blinding starburst
signaling out of this world
magnificent phenomenal supernova,
bathing, hashtagging and searing
across retinas freed from cataracts
courtesy opthamologist Aaron Cohn
rendering vision to behold
brilliant permanent images
attesting to the infinite
starry eyed breadth, scope, and width
of the universe city of galactic accretions
splayed out across the cosmos
an ever expanding
profound show stopper
fanfare for a common man
enjoying an Appalachian Spring
while attending a Rodeo
reinforcing nihilistic existentialism
while reducing egotistical pomposity
into an infinitesimal nothingness,
yet in the meantime welcomes
munificence videre licet largesse
or more simply stated
as cold hard cash for this Johnny.