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Efficiency (?)

In a hurry to lose our souls

By Gabriel HuizengaPublished about a month ago 1 min read
A peaceful scene in Scotland

"How are you liking the city?"

-

"Oh it's not too bad. I miss the trees, the green...

But it's nice that everything's so close to me."

-

"Yeah, it is pretty great - the efficiency."

...

Efficiency

We equate it with progress;

the fast track to the world we want to see, means

Efficiency

is king and queen, we bow our heads

and cast our consciences at the feet of its majesty, all hail

Efficiency

Things take less time, but

Cost far more peace. Can't we see that

Efficiency

is a devil in hero's guise,

For nothing more than hurry corrupts a healthy priority into

Efficiency

and pulls us from the slow, gentle art

of maintaining one's soul, amidst this carnal spree we call

Efficiency.

...

Last week I saw a man honking his horn at a woman on crutches slowly navigating the crosswalk.

She only had one leg.

He kept honking until she was fully out of his way.

*

*

*

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you for reading this strange piece! After seeing the scene described at the end of the poem, I felt compelled to share it in this way. May we all be less hurried and more compassionate. Cheers, friends.

inspirationalsocial commentarysad poetryMental Health

About the Creator

Gabriel Huizenga

Twas for love of words that I first joined this site:

Poetry, essays, and dear short stories too;

For to live one's best is to read, and to write!

So find me in words here, and I'll find you 💙

Thanks for stopping by! :)

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Top insights

  1. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  1. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (8)

  • Rachel Deeming13 days ago

    When I got to the end, it made me so angry. Loved your poem though. I agree totally. With everything. That honker will get his - I'm confident.

  • Shirley Belk29 days ago

    Gabriel, I think I would have had some words for the "honker." That infuriates me. I lived in Austin, TX for over 20 years and am now retired to a small town in Louisiana. I don't miss the "efficiency" much. I have replaced it with that peace. Enjoyed your poem.

  • D.K. Shepardabout a month ago

    Amazing! The opening anchor of a dialogue scene and the echoes of “efficiency” throughout were very impactful. The particulars of “cost far more peace”, “corrupts a healthy priority” and “carnal spree” were deftly done! And the end scene you described that provided inspiration was absolutely ghastly. This is an excellent reminder to be more patient and intentional

  • Farhat Naseemabout a month ago

    peaceful

  • Andrea Corwin about a month ago

    Well, humans are ridiculously selfish! Loved your poem and truly dislike that driver!

  • Kayleigh Fraser ✨about a month ago

    I really loved this… know that you just triggered so much in me with this piece (in a positive philosophical way 😅) 👌🙏🌟

  • Lamar Wigginsabout a month ago

    Love the point of view here, and the subtitle was clever.

  • shanmuga priyaabout a month ago

    It's both heartfelt and captivating."

Gabriel HuizengaWritten by Gabriel Huizenga

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