Read Poem: Branded, by Joan Gelfand

Lowing, she is jolted. Free roaming once, now branded

“Triple SSS” ranch. She masticates new grass,

Her bell clanging a song she longs to escape.

Up in San Francisco, the young flourish, workforce warriors

Pray like hell to survive, to preserve back, wrists, eyes.

Tied to screens and cubes, tey brandish

Salesforce backpack, Twitter snow cap, Uber baseball jacket.

Google thermos, Facebook key chain, Apple everything,

Logos of belonging. They relish their bells, glued to notifications,

Texts, mail. They munch power bars, Ninjas in their crowded fields,

Take the searing poker bravely, weigh tradeoffs.

Paycheck, health insurance, babies.

A chance at the payoff, a wild ride, early retirement.

At dinnertime, they taste the hint of something

Burnt under the sniff of grassy air, hear the faint

Jangle of the chain, the distant sound of bells.

Author: poetryfest

Submit your Poetry to the Festival. Three Options: 1) To post. 2) To have performed by an actor 3) To be made into a film. View all posts by poetryfest