Tonight's Poet Corner: Sonnet Solstice #97
The Dangerous Machine
by Belinda Roddie
The dangerous machine did not cut or
slice up appendages with tiny knives.
It did not act to cause pain, blood, or gore,
or threaten any of its users' lives.
No flames burst from its metal mouth. It would
not electrocute people. It would not
hiss out insults or threats. It never could
blackmail or con or cheat or mock or plot
to take away one's happiness. The thing,
however, was called dangerous, and those
who gave it that label would always sing
about why the device should be opposed,
even though it never would harm the youth;
the machine, instead, always told the truth.
by Belinda Roddie
The dangerous machine did not cut or
slice up appendages with tiny knives.
It did not act to cause pain, blood, or gore,
or threaten any of its users' lives.
No flames burst from its metal mouth. It would
not electrocute people. It would not
hiss out insults or threats. It never could
blackmail or con or cheat or mock or plot
to take away one's happiness. The thing,
however, was called dangerous, and those
who gave it that label would always sing
about why the device should be opposed,
even though it never would harm the youth;
the machine, instead, always told the truth.
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