Speck

Joe Strickland 1986 (Hobbysville, SC)



I walk through the city streets,
slick with rain and neon lights.
The crowds move like living waves,
each person a story untold.

A man playing guitar on the corner
fills the air with sweet melodies,
while a couple argues intensely
in a language I don't understand.

The scent of grilled meat and spices
mingles with the exhaust fumes,
and I inhale deeply, feeling alive
in this chaotic, vibrant world.

I see a homeless woman huddled
beneath a shelter, her eyes dull
with exhaustion and despair,
and my heart breaks for her loneliness.

Yet despite the chaos and diversity,
there is a unity in the thrumming
rhythm of this city, a shared beat
that connects us in our humanness.

I am just one person in this mass,
a speck in the grand scheme of things,
but for this moment, I feel infinite,
part of something greater than myself.
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Written on May 16, 2023

Submitted by JoeStrickland on May 16, 2023

50 sec read
11

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXX XXAX XXXX XXXB AXXB XXXX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 830
Words 168
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Joe Strickland

I'm just a regular, blue collar, working stiff who took an interest in writing poetry many years ago but until recently I haven't had a desire to share any with anyone or pursue publication. I'm an unpublished fork lift operator by night, and a day drinker by choice. I can be followed on Twitter @JoeStricklandSC more…

All Joe Strickland poems | Joe Strickland Books

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1 Comment
  • luisestable1
    Yes, this paints a picture that many have seen of the city and that despite of all things go along being.
    Your language is poetic, thus the description comes to us vivid and very well told.
    Good read!
    LikeReply 111 months ago
    • JoeStrickland
      Thank you so much, Luis. I'd like to read your work as well
      LikeReply11 months ago

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"Speck" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/159525/speck>.

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