deepundergroundpoetry.com
Identity Underground
Who on earth could it be that is this worm?
Their secret life underground
gives rise to gossip and speculation
as to what such form conceals
masked and hidden behind metaphors,
yet this worm does not seem to write
all language and style seems beyond them
for they are content to withdraw
wriggling their way between the words
so that they are seen but never speak
giving rise to questions of competence and capability
for if they do not write
then what manner of creature are they?
What kind for art do they seek to ply
or games do they plan to play
if language and content is beyond them
meaning they are little more than a figurehead
without a body of work to accompany them.
Perhaps all poetry and the ilk escape them
because they are more suited to prose or phrases
their ability lying more in miniscule utterances
than in constructing grand edifices and epics,
or perhaps they are satisfied to merely dig;
delving ever downwards to shore up foundations
where they work our of sight and out of mind
paying no heed to the drive for words
silence and diligence being their only output
its imprint unremarkable and invisible
their toiling a necessary groundwork.
Conversely they could be overly capable indeed,
harnessing language as easy as energy
their pseudonym delivering a constant flow
with the quiet worm a bait to the unknown expanse behind
where a terrible amount of tomes
could not even contain their content
the endeavours and performances too innumerable to mention
contrasted by the humble unspoken worm.
For now all efforts are in vain,
the identity concealed
lacking leading clues or information
the name and rank a mystery
the identity undeclared and obscured
revelling in the toil of others
while the worm serves as a token
known only to its bearer and perhaps a confidant
with their work private or unconnected
unsuspected by any others
as all connections are secure in secrecy
defying standards of openness
acting as an inactive rebel
passive to the daily grind
content to be a worm with their true identity underground.
Their secret life underground
gives rise to gossip and speculation
as to what such form conceals
masked and hidden behind metaphors,
yet this worm does not seem to write
all language and style seems beyond them
for they are content to withdraw
wriggling their way between the words
so that they are seen but never speak
giving rise to questions of competence and capability
for if they do not write
then what manner of creature are they?
What kind for art do they seek to ply
or games do they plan to play
if language and content is beyond them
meaning they are little more than a figurehead
without a body of work to accompany them.
Perhaps all poetry and the ilk escape them
because they are more suited to prose or phrases
their ability lying more in miniscule utterances
than in constructing grand edifices and epics,
or perhaps they are satisfied to merely dig;
delving ever downwards to shore up foundations
where they work our of sight and out of mind
paying no heed to the drive for words
silence and diligence being their only output
its imprint unremarkable and invisible
their toiling a necessary groundwork.
Conversely they could be overly capable indeed,
harnessing language as easy as energy
their pseudonym delivering a constant flow
with the quiet worm a bait to the unknown expanse behind
where a terrible amount of tomes
could not even contain their content
the endeavours and performances too innumerable to mention
contrasted by the humble unspoken worm.
For now all efforts are in vain,
the identity concealed
lacking leading clues or information
the name and rank a mystery
the identity undeclared and obscured
revelling in the toil of others
while the worm serves as a token
known only to its bearer and perhaps a confidant
with their work private or unconnected
unsuspected by any others
as all connections are secure in secrecy
defying standards of openness
acting as an inactive rebel
passive to the daily grind
content to be a worm with their true identity underground.
Published 9th Apr 2019
Author's Note
Entry number 9 for the NaPo/GloPoWrimo Competition using the connected days prompt.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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The author encourages honest critique.
9th Apr 2019 4:27pm
Love the metaphorical mix again.
(Another Factoid: Some reckon Darwin's best contribution was not "Origin of the Species" but his last book "The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms". Some say he deliberately published it just before his death so he would not be 'demoted' for his views. As the father of vermiculture, he did a great job, noting the role of worms in producing high-quality humus, along with other 'edaphon' {the earth equivalent of plankton} which was an idea that may have inspired the work of Raoul Francé on soil micro-organisms, work that countered the arguments (in the 1920s) that were pushing for large-scale agri-chemical farming). {I'll shut up now}
(Another Factoid: Some reckon Darwin's best contribution was not "Origin of the Species" but his last book "The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms". Some say he deliberately published it just before his death so he would not be 'demoted' for his views. As the father of vermiculture, he did a great job, noting the role of worms in producing high-quality humus, along with other 'edaphon' {the earth equivalent of plankton} which was an idea that may have inspired the work of Raoul Francé on soil micro-organisms, work that countered the arguments (in the 1920s) that were pushing for large-scale agri-chemical farming). {I'll shut up now}
10th Apr 2019 1:43pm
Viddax this is great! I am sorry you are uncontested in the prompt comp - but everyone seems intimated!
10th Apr 2019 6:34pm
Truth be told my latest prompts either only tenuously use the prompt or just are not that good, so it means there are less poems being entered into the competition. Hopefully the gap will mean people post prompts, so far I have the quantity but it is quality that counts.
