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Empty Words
There was a time not long ago
When insults led to deadly duels.
Today, on streaming video
I saw men call each other fools.
And women did the same, and worse,
Forsaking wit and eloquence
With every epithet and curse,
And none of it had consequence.
Not once did I hear someone say,
“My honor demands recompense!
“How dare you speak of me that way!”
For few appeared to take offense.
Perhaps no honor has been lost
When honor’s in such short supply.
For words are cheap when there’s no cost
Nor fear that for such words we’d die.
Our politics are filled these days
With hollow men with empty chests.
Whose roars sound more like asses brays,
Weak wimps who treat insults as jests.
Perhaps we need more like Will Smith
Who chose, when grieved, to not ignore it,
Defending his wife’s honor with
a slap (but then said, “Sorry,” for it).
And fair is fair, give them their due,
For women can be hollow, too.
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James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and four collections of poetry including Sidekicks, Mostly Sonnets, and Laughing Matters, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in both print and online media. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition.
“Empty Words” from empty heads for hollow minds! James, your poem perfectly targets and portrays the numbness of present-day cowardly humans who constantly fail to stand for anything of value.
Your words, James, are never empty. I suspect that few would care to challenge you to a duel.
I would hope I would never say anything that would give someone cause to take personal offense in the first place! Simply put, the current level of civil discourse disgusts me.
There was a time, when if you were caught out by a dishonorable action, you’d face the consequences – like resigning.
Today it seems the norm to brazen it out and hope you get a pass.
A timely poem, James.
You hit the nail on the head. The phrase “empty chests” reminded me of the phrase “men without chests” that C.S. Lewis coined way back in 1943. That virus was merely in its infancy in his day but has grown exponentially since it has found fertile ground in our relativistic society. As you point out, when empty words have no consequence, there is nothing to stop their propogation. Very well done.
Ty, Warren. The phrase “hollow men with empty chests” was indeed intended as a double reference to C.S. Lewis’ “men without chests” and T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Hollow Men” which begins,
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar . . .
For anyone interested, I would recommend a very interesting book: “Honor: a History” by James Bowman.
It has a sad ending: After World War I Western Civilization placed honor under taboo, blaming it for the wars in the world. And what came along to fill the vacuum that resulted when honor departed? Celebrity. People who are famous for being famous now receive the acclaim, influence, and following that had formerly been bestowed on men of honor and scope.
Well, James, thanks for adding some wit and eloquence to civil discourse with this poem. Good to hear a few men discussing the matter. Opportunities are with us, but public presentation of mind or heart or soul takes time and effort. And maybe practice. I do recall that even in public school, there was a time when ordinary boys were offered the opportunity to make an appropriate general prayer in a few words. How much was lost when that became a minute of silence! And even the thought behind it was lost as silence was discarded. Honor to you all, gentlemen, for using these valued comment boxes.
Aside from the fact that I am not enamoured of Will Smith, this poem packs a punch and I love the concluding couplet: irony with a punch too!