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Communication, creative, Disconnection, isolation, Language, Nobody Reads, poems, poetry, Reading, verse, writing
Nobody really reads
Anymore
And I sit here with my pen
And page
Quartz-white and aching
With the longing to be heard
With the longing for the scratches
Of life and love and pain
To leave their trail
Like the snails who emerge
To the freshness of the rain
With a purpose and a will
On the fences and the leaves
On the skin of another.
Nobody really reads
Anymore
Eyes scan screens and pages
Lifeless
As if expecting something more
To leap out from the words
To seep from the page
And settle beneath the skin
Like a message or a meaning
Or something better to take
The time away
A quiet infection of purpose
Or entertainment or something
Something other than this.
Nobody really reads
Anymore
As a colourless wash paints over
It’s grey
Face recycled with the same words
That we heard before
That we heard tomorrow
With no more meaning than the clouds
Which spin and scuttle
Like frightened crabs across the sky
Across the beach
To the sea that swallows them whole
As the language slowly dies
Behind our eyes.
Nobody really reads
Anymore.
EXCELLENT piece, Chris. I’ve had many of these same thoughts myself. Like you said, eyes scanning screens, lifeless, waiting for something deeper to jump out.
I think this goes hand in hand with the transactional interactions that are becoming more prevalent… like for like, follow for follow, “liking” something in hopes of being seen. An avalanche of stimuli with very little real substance.
I love this.
I agree 100% with you and Tara on this. ♥️
Good job, Chris. For the record, I did read it.
Cheers, Michael – thought you might!
And I’m glad (but not surprised) that you got the point of this. I wonder, sometimes, whether we aren’t soaking ourselves, drowning in quantity rather than quality.
I tend to believe that we are. I was just thinking about that a couple nights ago as I was writing (for myself).
Apart from this writing being creative inspirational and true, all I have to say is
Cheers to the persona for this posting.
Thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts. Much appreciated.
Clouds swallowed by the sea! This is a great poem Chris that rings a gong!
Thanks so much, Bruce – delighted to hear that gong!
Pingback: [Reblog] Nobody Reads — chrisnelson61 – sceadugenga
Thanks for the re-blog – let’s hope someone reads it!
Excellent piece Chris and very thought provoking. There are definitely more writers than readers
I have to agree Mark. Glad you liked this.
I share your sentiments, Chris – and those who’ve commented in the thread – folk staring at screens, images just washing over ‘lifeless eyes’. Your piece has a beautiful haunting quality to it.
But some of us write and some of us read too. There’s still hope, evidenced yesterday while I was hanging out at my favourite local bookstore. So many young people coming in, looking at – and buying – real books!
Oh yes, indeed that is true, and I don’t think that books will ever become redundant, I think that the concern is that we ate being fashioned into a society of ‘immediacy ‘ and people don’t feel the pullnof engagement. Anyway, thanks for you’d great response and I’m glad that you can identify with this.
I’m drowning happily in a sea of books!
No better way to go!!
I read it too, Chris! and I absolutely agree with Tara Caribou. So many delicious phrases: quartz-white and aching, with the longing for the scratches… magic 🙂
Aw, bless you, such lovely words. I’m so glad that you got this, Rachael, and I’m delighted that you enjoyed my phrasing. Thank you.
Pingback: Nobody Reads REBLOG – Raw Earth Ink
Thank you, Tara, I appreciate this.
Thanks to Tara Caribou for bringing this to my attention.
Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
A reminder worth reading
Thanks alot, Bob, I truly appreciate this. Good to know that reblogging helps to connect people.
Virtually all of my connection in the blogiverse came that way.
It’s the same with me – very positive too.
Well I felt that!
Would it be ok with you if i reblogged this?
I would be absolutely delighted, Melanie. Thank you, and I’m thrilled to know that this touched you.
I really read you
perceive this voice of yours myself
this loud and silent cry
feel and sense
same inSane
kindly greetings
Thanks for reading – glad this resonated with you.
Here from Tara’s reblog – I guess it worked – people are reading.
I echo everything said before me – an amazing piece and very thought-provoking. I share your sentiment.
Thanks Sam – I appreciate you leaving your thoughts. I am glad (though in a sense a little sad) that this resonated with you.
Reblogged this on Wordifull and commented:
Enjoy this poem from Chris Nelson, it really resonated with me.
Thanks, Melanie, I appreciate you reblogging this – glad you liked it.
And rarely anyone sees and listens. We have all those senses and yet…
You make a very good point. When did we become so self-obsessed?
Look around.
Indeed!
Lovely piece, Chris.
Nobody reads anymore
Thank you. And thank you for being a reader too.