Plastic cup speaker blasts out,
Tones that nobody knows,
Besides the kid who stuffed it in his bag,
Cherry Ice gripped to his mouth,
The vapour clouds rushed around his face,
A smoke bomb reverberated in his lungs,
The rapper preached about his Glock 89',
Whilst cleaning his dirty money sack,
In proximity, he heard the old stereo,
Dexy's Midnight Runners sang their songs,
Next to it, an old man, pulling on an instrument,
Made of paper, menthol and tobacco,
The pocket revealed a small, weak knife,
That presented the boys small, weak mind,
Stereo man looked up, blind eyed laughing,
The boy's little weapon seemed like a joke,
"You and me are the same." The old man said,
"Pulling on toxins with our musical boxes,
I had a knife once and showed it to the world,
And now my cigarette grips to my mouth,"
The boy was confused, jolting his leg to the muse,
The knife dropped and shook the ground,
He ran away, so fast his face,
Began pouring with tears of shame.
More about The Poem...
'Stereo' is a vivid and gritty narrative poem that captures a fleeting yet profound encounter between a young boy and an old man. The poem begins with the boy, lost in his world, listening to obscure music from a makeshift speaker, and indulging in the rebellious act of vaping. The music he listens to glorifies violence and crime, creating a stark contrast with the old man nearby, who listens to nostalgic tunes from an old stereo while smoking a cigarette.
The old man, weathered and seemingly wise from years of similar youthful defiance, draws a parallel between himself and the boy. He acknowledges their shared propensity for self-destructive habits and the symbols of their rebellion—music and toxins. When the boy brandishes a small knife, the old man, unfazed, shares a personal revelation, hinting at his own past of futile bravado and how it led to his current state.
The boy, initially confused and defiant, is struck by the old man’s words. His bravado crumbles as he realizes the path he’s on might lead to the same fate. Overcome with emotion and shame, he drops the knife and runs away, symbolizing a moment of potential change and introspection. The poem poignantly captures themes of youth, rebellion, and the haunting echoes of past mistakes.
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