Disposable

Fear feeding our obsession to possess all that we see
Clutching everything within our grasp

Commercialism ensuring all that we take is absolute
Fuelling desires in an endless pursuit of more

Permanence, holding no favour in this modern philosophy
Nothing more than the idiosyncrasy of bygones

Disposability the ideology of a modern era
Lauding consumerism and social standing

Climbing insurmountable peaks of salient materialism
Insatiable greed striving to replace that already attained

Persuasive indoctrination of market forces
Warning us what we cannot survive without

Built in obsolescence offering little contentment
To the empty souls of incessant worshippers

"Take-aways", "Fast foods", "Fashion", "Modern"
Buzz words to the prophet expediency

"Emptiness", "Guilt", "Remorse", "Unhappiness"
The rewards of decadence

James Tobias

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Name	Comment	Date
Louis Harris	Commercial poetry (LOL) James, this piece echoes what many of us feel and think.  There is a hamburger franchise offering all this and more and the kids just love it all.  What they don't tell us is this: Come eat our burgers, you won't find much nutrition in the burger, but you will get a toy - so spend thirty bucks and eat some hearty heart attack stuff that will def. get you, if not now,  in thirty years time! Yech! Oh, and what about the lounge suite from a reputable furniture store that costs R45000 with a beautiful name?  This furniture store seems to think we're all wealthy because we live in South Africa and are all gold or platinum miners, or own wine farms. What about that bottle of Glenfidditch (sic) that costs R69 500? I could go on forever but you put it quite clearly in your poem. Great work. Respect Points 5 - Perfect! This piece of writing, in my opinion, cannot be improved!	2007-12-27
Erna	See Junkmail – a series of etchings about the same topic: http://www.zakbenjamin.com on the “Etchings” page. Disposability the ideology of a modern era …and I feel I do not belong – because I KEEP things! Your poem has a forceful rhythm, like a train careening out of control. I like. Ta tatataDA! I like a lot! I think built-in needs a hyphen. For my taste the piece is a little too preachy/angry. I’d like it a little more subtle, so that you “get” me with a twist. Points: 3 Very promising	2007-12-27
Louis	Congratulations.  One can easily tell that writing, for you, is a passion, write on.	2008-01-10
Sasha	I like that you have some lovely words, and I cannot fault the poem except to say that I would have liked you to personalise it - poets have a job in the universe - not only to record history, but how we feel about it. Where is Tobias in this piece? I see Cosmo, Fairlady and Verve - but no Tobias.  Find Tobias, send "him" into the field to plough our hearts with "his" words.  As to the truth of the work - yes. It's true.  But I want YOU.  I want to hear your voice growl as I know it can - and you have the words.  So... I wait. Thank you for the opportunity to read your piece and I encourage you to continue. I adore poets. Points 3 - Very promising piece of writing	2008-02-17
James	I'm not sure whether to purr, growl or hiss.	2008-02-17
Erna	Dorian Haarhoff & Julia Cameron say about criticism of one’s work: if it resonates (your innards say “Yes! That’s it!”) keep it. If not, discard it.	2008-02-18