Poetry

So, I'm no great poet (there's documented proof of that), but there's a new poem floating around on Twitter, purportedly written by an 8th grader:

Our Generation

Our generation will be known for nothing.
Never will anybody say,
We were the peak of mankind.
That is wrong, the truth is
Our generation was a failure.
Thinking that
We actually succeeded
Is a waste. And we know
Living only for money and power
Is the way to go.
Being loving, respectful, and kind
Is a dumb thing to do.
Forgetting about that time,
Will not be easy, but we will try.
Changing our world for the better
Is something we never did.
Giving up
Was how we handled our problems.
Working hard
Was a joke.
We knew that
People thought we couldn’t come back
That might be true,
Unless we turn things around
(Read from bottom to top now)

Very cool, indeed. I can see why Twitter is all atwitter about it. Of course, it seems pretty obviously inspired by another poem by Jonathan Reed. I don't mean to take anything away from Our Generation, and I mean sincerely that this is a case of inspiration, as it is clearly not plagarism:

Lost Generation

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

Now read it again in reverse.

Which generation do you belong in?

Reed's title, "Lost Generation," of course, was popularized by Ernest Hemmingway. Hemmingway got the phrase (referring to the generation that grew up with World War I) from Gertrude Stein, and Stein got the phrase from the owner of the garage that serviced her car.

Coming full circle, Hemmingway used the phrase in The Sun Also Rises, and that title has been used in a few places throughout our fandom (intentionally referencing Hemmingway or not), for reasons I hope should be clear if you're reading this post!

Eternal Twilight, chapter 5
The God Particle, chapter 26
Harmonics, chapter 8
As the Sun Rises, So Do We
Yet the Sea is Not Full (explicitly a crossover with Hemmingway)
And I'm sure there are more besides.

Happy Monday!