Poetry & Prose by Carol J Forrester
Tescos ran out of loo rolls and soapboxes.
Stay-at-home politicians with keyboards and opinions
screeching their how-to, quick-fix slogans.
Have you not been told?
Fake it till you make it means everyone’s an expert.
No one wants to say,
we’re all just fucking lost.
I’ll just slink back off to my grump little hobbit hole. Rant over in just forty-four words.
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019. She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can. Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears. She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works. View all posts by Carol J Forrester
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I think this is an excellent opportunity to learn about life and death… We just need to handle this… and we will if we don’t panic.
I think a lot of people are struggling with the don’t panic bit.
My GOSH, you had me at that title. This is so good, Carol.
Thank you.
It’s just been a mess, hasn’t it? Nobody seems to be able to sort out the practicalities, it’s all talk and no real action, except for the NHS and other people on the frontline. We really are all just fucking lost.
I think it’s evidence that no matter how confident we are in our abilities as a modern world, something will always pop up to land us on our arses.
So true.
Good observation: “Fake it till you make it means everyone’s an expert.”
Thank you Frank.
No one really seems to know what to do and there are conflicting interests are stake too.
It’s why I’m very glad not to be the one making the decisions. No matter the outcome, someone will feel they’ve got the short shrift.
It seems that way everywhere.
Unfortunately so.
Good one Carol.
Thank you.
🙂
….and the freakin’ lost starts at the top! Love your grumpy hobbit side, by the way.
Haha, thank you Beverly. Being 5ft means hobbit is just one of the nicknames that gets thrown my way. I’ve learnt to laugh along with the joke.
I love this question which really seems the crux of the matter: “Have you not been told?” As if we all must wait for someone to deliver something–but the ones with the soapboxes just babble their “quick-fix slogans.”
Fear often makes us look for leadership, but it can also drive us to tear those leaders down if we feel failed by them. Not always fairly. (Not making any comments on the current political climate. Just a personal view on politics in general.)
We are in the middle of it, aren’t we. Good venting of frustration.
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
I think your commentary is accurate.
Thank you.
I have yet to find an “expert” in anything! Isn’t there always more to learn?
Indeed there is, but I wouldn’t define expert as a person who knows everything about a subject, but someone who has taken the time and effort to learn all that can about something and has a confident understanding of the topic. It’s why experts in history tend to have such narrow research fields.
no one “in charge” wants to say it…but the rest of us are wallowing in it. (K)
I don’t think you can say it if you’re in charge. When power becomes a battle, you can’t afford to be construed as weak.
You captured the current global climate quite well.
Thank you. Not my normal bag but every now and again it seeps out of me.
Thanks Hobbit, I feel better just reading this (I might read it again tonight, after the nightly news…)🙂
Glad to be of service.
Loved this! Lots of company in that grumpy little hobbit hole of yours.
Haha, as long as we social distance.
I love this Carol. A hobbit hole sounds good about now.
Doesn’t it just.
I think we’re so used to having answers and quick fixes, that we can’t imagine that sometimes there aren’t any. The energy then turns to blame, scrutiny and calls for action, etc. Humans have been through so much worse in history. We are f’n spoiled….(ahem, since we’re dropping those today 😉
Yeah, I normally avoid swearing in my poetry as I’m not sure it generally adds to the poem, however it seemed to fit for this one.
I often find the quick fix is never as straight forward as you first think.
Good rant.
Sometimes I think the whole teleological purpose of being here, if there is one, includes being lost, otherwise we would have no perspective as to what the true stakes of this life are, and without a sense of the stakes would not have a chance at having a clue as to what it means to love, and what would life be without that? So cheers to being fucking lost! 🙂 As long as we don’t lose hold of what is truly at stake here? dunno. Love your grumpy hobbit side. Is my comment longer than the quadrille itself? Is that even allowed? again, dunno. 😉
Haha, there’s no limits on comments so I wouldn’t worry about it. Being lost is part of the human condition as you say. I wish more people would be able to accept it as normal rather than fighting against it tooth and nail.
Right!