NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 23, What’s My Measure?

Today, without charge or payment, NaPo poets were to write a poem involving a “superhero” (a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman [as in not human] powers).

Actually, and indirectly, I’ve already quasi done this. But is not a superhero (SH) a matter of opinion?

What’s My Measure?

Superhero (SH), Man! Impressive!!
How good are you? How real?
How many followers you got?
Seventy-four million “yeas” gets you funded,
your lawyers and other whores paid as well.

What do you call Batman and Robin
after they got run over by a … never mind.
Then, Rock-in Robin came bopping in—

When the Dell Comics (Marvel?) boys called
wardrobe for a masked sidekick for the real
Caped Crusader. Shazam!

Batman sales doubled, thanks to Robin.
The value of America’s superheroes
took a new low bow but made high book.

Robin aged-up from (tweet, tweet, tweet)
and morphed into superhero: Nightwing,
when that role wasn’t confused with,
or filled by a morphed Superman.

Yeah, Babe, it’s all about cold, hard sales—
product endorsements, shoe sales,
pizza stores, and insurance coverage
(and now bibles, for Christ’s sake).

Is there anything in this country
not all about, and measured with, money?
Is that our reality? TBF, even Wikipedia
and self-pubbed twit poets (like me) need money.

Is wealth and value our true measure?
Are our real SH’s Bezos, Musk, Gates,
Zuckerberg, and Buffet? Even God
seems to constantly need more money.

Look both ways and wonder where your money goes.
Mind the gaps for anything that makes us feel better,
anything that will push product out the door.

 

15 thoughts on “NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 23, What’s My Measure?”

  1. I love this, Bill. You ain’t lyin’ when you say it’s all about the bottom dollah… nuthin’ for nuthin’ and money makes the world go ’round so yeah… fuggedabout finding a SH who is all about doing good just for the sake of it.

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    1. Peachy-keen that you love it, Dale. And you are right again…
      Capitalism is imperfectly excellent. I do not begrudge anyone profit, I worked for it (in a way) for years. All my friends did. But I’ve noticed….
      We both do a lot because (for some reason) we want to.
      Neither of our blogs advertise or sell anything (at most, you tell what you are reading [Goodreads] and list other blogs). We want it that way. Right?

      I am thinking of a quote by John Updike: “Sex is like money; only too much is enough.” One could easily reverse the subjects.
      I don’t resent everything about making a profit, but many things/people I do, while others, I admire. 🙂

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      1. Chuffed I am that you are peachy-keen!
        Of course not. I work for a paycheque and not for he love of my job, I assure you.
        Yes. Even my foodie blog is sans advertising. And that is exactly the way I want it.
        That is a good quote, indeed (both ways). And no, there is nothing wrong with making a profit – how you go about it is the important thing.

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      2. Cool.
        And you reminded me of a story (true).
        The ice breaker at a business conference was to stand and self-into, stating what you liked best about your job.

        When my turn came, I stood, said my name, and told them that they were all liars. The favorite thing about their job and mine was payday! Without which none of us would do these wonderful jobs. LOL I got a lot of “looks.” 🙂

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      3. Cool!
        Ooohhh… That is quite the question.
        And how true is that for many of us. When you hear people saying I love what I do so much I would do it for free… it’s coz they don’t need the paycheque!

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      4. I never worked at a job that I would have done for free. 🙂
        I was just reading about the “gig economy” good grief. I must be a boomer. LOL

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      8. Was (binge) watching that not long ago. I do go to one about once or twice a month. The Austin Vinyl Record Convention/huge sales floor is the first weekend in May. 🙂

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      9. It has some good moments.
        And nice! We have a couple cool stores on Mount Royal Avenue in Montréal. I’ve not been in ages. I should go for a look-see!

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      12. I get that, for sure. Because of the weight I have given up books and records and now wish I kept them. I managed to keep many of both and am happy for that. But still…
        I need to do a short reel of my room. My walls are covered with vinyl LPs, many originals we kept and others from the record store. 🙂

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