Exploiters so Unfair

I decided to live dangerously in October. It’s a scary month, so I’m going to explore a form of poetry with stringent rules that moves at a rapid-fire pace. I’m going to write blitz poetry. This unusual style, developed by Robert Keim, has set rules using connecting phrases to create a 50-line verse titled Exploiters so Unfair.

Line 1 is a short phrase or image. Line 2 is another short phrase or image using the same first word as line 1. Lines 3 and 4 starts with the same word used as the last word of line 2. Then, lines 5 and 6 use the last word of line 4. This pattern is followed until line 48. Line 49 uses the last word in 48. Line 50 begins with the last word in line 47. The title is three words long. The title format is the first word of line 3, a preposition or conjunction, and the first word of 47. You can’t use any punctuation. Luckily, these poems don’t need to rhyme. This poetic adventure will either be a lot of fun or leave me frustrated. I will call this Blitz poem is titled Exploiters so Unfair. Let’s get our spooky scare on right now.

Exploiters so Unfair

Hard times happen to us all

Hard times have their exploiters

Exploiters masquerading as friends

Exploiters to manipulate a crisis

Crisis should not go to waste

Crisis to promote an agenda

Agenda to get what they want

Agenda to take advantage

Advantage of the weak

Advantage of the sick

Sick with a virus

Sick of the duplicity

Duplicity there all along

Duplicity like a snake

Snake hid in the grass

Snake slithering on its belly

Belly filled with poison

Belly filled with sharp fangs

Fangs that hiss

Fangs that bite

Bite with sharpness

Bite with venom

Venom hid in caring words

Venom spit in the face of innocence

Innocence for you to take advantage

Innocence of shedding blood

Blood sucked from an untapped vein

Blood sucked for an unearned gain

Gain to cause harm and pain

Gain unearned and will not remain

Remain to watch you make your move

Remain to listen to your words

Words spoken with a false kindness

Words spoken with hidden vindictiveness

Vindictiveness to plan and plot

Plot to step into anther’s shoes

Plot to spread bad news

News that is false and flimsy

News to harm and destroy

Destroy with winsome words

Destroy with false humility

Humility that isn’t meek or humble

Humility that is bold and brash

Brash beyond arrogance

Brash to play the game unfair

Unfair to distort the rules of the game

Unfair to place the ultimate blame

Blame for the endless struggle

Blame for speaking truth to power

Power

Struggle

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!