Surplus to requirments

Matt

I’m a frazzle of lion’s tooth
blow me away and ya find flotsam growin’ roots
me thumbs trapped betwixt me braces
as I play chicken by nobody’s rules
careenin’ as I mean to run
round sharpest corners
stragglin’ offshoots on the stems of me breath
a rattle of nettles and neurosis
I’ve become the urbans wilds
no doubt I’ll be soon be eaten
by the jaws of machines
at the behest of the councils’ wiles
after runnin’ feral, labeled ‘surplus to requirements.’


Authors note:

This is written inspired by today’s prompt.

This is an offshoot; this poem could be said of a growing manic neurosis, the parts that remain wild at the edges, too anxious to tame.

It relates to the themes in that it’s ultimately about belonging or lack thereof and becoming excluded, yet remaining at the edges.

18 thoughts on “Surplus to requirments”

  1. murisopsis's avatar murisopsis Jun 25, 2025 / 2:57 pm

    Vivid in metaphor and manic in motion (and emotion). A wonderful use of the prompt in my opinion!

    Liked by 1 person

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      • Matt's avatar Matt Jun 26, 2025 / 10:35 am

        Ah. I’m a just a Gorilla (not normal sized for a gorilla though). Non human animals unite!

        Like

    • Matt's avatar Matt Jun 25, 2025 / 7:37 pm

      Thanks! Glad you think so. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  3. crazy4yarn2's avatar crazy4yarn2 Jun 25, 2025 / 8:46 pm

    Rules are meant to be broken!

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. poetisatinta's avatar poetisatinta Jun 26, 2025 / 2:14 pm

    Fantastic opening line – what flows is a portrait of a marginal urban self who survives precisely because, like weeds, he refuses to obey the plan – love it 🙌

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. memadtwo's avatar memadtwo Jun 26, 2025 / 7:18 pm

    I think we all contain those frayed edges, but in some people they are more hidden than in others. (K)

    Like

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  6. Bob Lynn's avatar Bob Lynn Jun 27, 2025 / 5:32 pm

    Your dandelion metaphor is brilliantly executed – transforming society’s “weed” into a symbol of stubborn vitality. The authentic voice you’ve crafted, with its raw honesty and defiant humor, brings genuine humanity to experiences of marginalisation. Your imagery crackles with life, and that final line hits with devastating precision.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Matt's avatar Matt Jun 27, 2025 / 7:59 pm

      Wow! Thanks for the compliments. Glad you liked it!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. ben Alexander's avatar ben Alexander Jun 28, 2025 / 9:34 pm

    Matt, I keep turning over “a frazzle of lion’s tooth / blow me away and ya find flotsam growin’ roots.” There’s something fierce and unraveling in those lines—like a weed becoming wild prophecy 🙂

    ~David

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. ben Alexander's avatar ben Alexander Jul 2, 2025 / 7:25 am

    hi, Matt 🥰

    Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Murisopsis (Val), is now live:

    https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/07/02/w3-prompt-166-weave-written-weekly/

    Enjoy!

    Much love,
    David

    P.S. Could you please send me an email at DVDBGMLNY at GMAIL dot COM? The reason I’m requesting this is that you may eventually get selected to be our “Poet of the Week” for W3, and when that happens, I’ll need to be able to get in touch with you. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Matt's avatar Matt Jul 2, 2025 / 8:23 pm

      I will e-mail you by the end of the week, if not emailed by the weekend, just comment again to remind me.

      Liked by 1 person

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