"Whether Vain"

We are ashamed of our fear; for we know that a righteous man would not suspect danger nor incur any. Wherever a man feels fear, there is an avenger. - Thoreau

jeepers creepers

winners weepers

braille peepers

sweet bookkeepers

sour beekeepers

automatic gatekeepers

perfection tweakers

perfumed wreakers

not so slick but sleekers

vegetarian beefeaters

ivory tower retreaters

boobed, brassiered repeaters

promise keepers

miracle seekers

single-story building leapers

first quarter squeakers

marathon streakers

wearers of torn sneakers

and vibrating, earbud speakers

once a weekers

way-too-soon peakers

driving oil leakers

up a foul-smelling crick and creekers

Author's Note

“There is no such thing as accomplishing a righteous reform by the use of 'expediency.' There is no such thing as sliding up hill. In morals, the only sliders are backsliders.” - Thoreau

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

er...I kinda like this a bunch...
I had to put my own sneak--ers on to read it.
I got a kick out of the streaker part.

Back in 1974 we had that happening at SIU both on campus and on the town's main street.

One couple looked like the cover of that one album that John and Yoko made.
"Don't look Ethel"---too late.
this was a fun piece to read.
j.

[Pete]

lol. with people flipping out in stores and on planes over being masked, perhaps we need more sweet release like that streaking but at my age people would probably look at the sneakers more than me. more laughing never hurts. thanks for sharing j. ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

Rattles along and is great fun. I think you have managed to cover in some way or another , the whole population :) I read this poem three times and put faces to each line :) boobed brassiere repeaters, too :) I hovered over perfection tweakers and blushed, remembering my own faults as pointed out by my nearest and dearest. Well done Pete. Lifted the September low mood. Feeling the lack of light.

Chris

[Pete]

lol - except for me of course (i'm perfect). ah - so you're the fixer type as am i. afraid to know what the face of a b.b. repeater looks like! yes - daylight is waning big time. took my air conditioner out of the window last evening as darkness clawed and coolness flowed. waiting for those brilliant colors now. thanks for sharing chris ... :)

[barleygirl]

Some drab boring days, there's not much else to say, except WORDPLAY!!!!!!!!! I hear ya, loud & clear. Your word combinations, as always, are fresh & unexpected & playful. Love the word tweak in your title (((HUGS)))

[Pete]

what can we really write that's never been written before - so we start looking in the dark corners and under the sofa - treading where we rarely if ever dare to go. absurdity and insanity are underrated ... :)

[Ruth]

Pete, you have excelled at boggling my brain and that is a good thing lol What a roller coaster of irony and one that leaves me wide eyed at the screen and yet sailed away on a wave of thought...both...excellent :)

[Pete]

now you've got me laughing. hard to believe for someone as deep as you. you remind that it is good to sail away sometimes on the good ship thought no matter where it may take us ... :)

[John the Baptist]

For some reason, the line referring to "boobed, brassiered repeaters" stands out among all the rest. Perhaps it lends itself more easily to the imagination.

[Pete]

funny that you mention that particular line - i added it after writing the rest and toyed with it for a while to try and make it fit in, wondering if it even belonged in the write ... :)