The Stage

The Stage is a poem all about people projecting themselves onto some object in their midst, and it isn't the object at all that is 'creating' the things that then happen; and what's more, by eventually destroying that element upon which people project 'themselves' they no long have anything that would give their community an 'outlet' thereby ensuring the one special thing in their midst that they can project themselves onto is no longer in their future, thus guaranteeing them a 'bland' future!!

   This poem is 24 stanzas of 4 lines each (grouped into 6 4 line groups) and the last word of each and every line never repeats and always rhymes with an "rrrr" sound (like cadaver, splendor, grandeur). More complex is the syllable count - it changes every 4 stanzas; the first 4 stanzas have 16 syllables per line, the next 4 have 15 syllables per line, the next 4 have 14 syllables, then back to 15 syllables per line, then back up to 16, then down to 15. This makes the meter of the lines change (and where the emphasis is placed) - so, I put the emphasized word (or word part) in bold - when reading make sure to say the bold word (or part of a word) strongly, with emphasis, and you'll pick up the rhythm quickly. The meter is always an emphasized syllable followed by 3 un-emphasized syllables (but where it 'starts' per stanza depends on that stanza-group's syllable count).

   The structure of this poem provides for 6 chapters, one for each group of 4 stanzas.