Ahead Yet Shortage

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 Ahead Yet Shortage.

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 start 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 Ahead Yet Shortage. Let’s get our spooky scare on right now.

Ahead Yet Shortage

Dark winter

Dark days ahead

Ahead of us

Ahead in the future

Future drama

Future shortages

Shortages of food

Shortages of supplies

Supplies waiting in the ocean

Supplies waiting for workers to unload

Unload from cargo ships

Unload before they spoil

Spoil and decay

Spoil for lack of workers

Workers that are tired

Workers tired of lousy jobs

Jobs that don’t pay a living wage

Jobs nobody wants

Wants to do these days

Wants a better future

Future with prospects

Future with a passion

Passion for work

Passion for respect

Respect from people

Respect not to be invisible

Invisible hand

Invisible face

Face of a worker

Face that can be replaced

Replaced by a machine

Replaced when not needed

Needed to fill orders

Needed to drive a truck

Truck loaded with merchandise

Truck to carry a load

Load of cargo from the port

Load to carry to the store

Store where people stand in line

Store where customer service are forgotten words

Words filled with flattery

Words of a PR man

Man or woman

Man trying to defend

Defend vaccine mandates

Defend a created labor shortage

Shortage of people

Shortage of a plan

Plan

People

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.

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