Analysis of Get Up Off The Sidewalk

Lawrence S. Pertillar 1947 (Connecticut)



Doesn't it seem these unusual days.
That those who accuse others,
Especially us.
Would go out of their way.
To blame it claimed,
Their quality of life is being destroyed.
And no one else can better do it.
Than themselves to publicly display that!

'Help me understand something.'

'I'll do the best I can.
What is it that you don't understand?'

'We are standing here,
Minding our own business, right?'

'I hope you're going to keep this simple.
And not turn it into one of those,
Multiple choice test.
Then to argue over my answer.
Okay.
I'll play along.
My answer to your question is...
Yes!'

'Then tell me this...
Why are those folks across the street,
Yelling in protest and creating havoc?
To accuse and blame us,
Allegedly.
For destroying 'their' way of life.
To come walzing into 'our' neighborhood.
With the police protecting what 'they' do.
Awaiting for 'us' to protest against it?'

'Oh...that?
When do you remember,
It to have ever been...
They stayed where they lived.
To know where to go to do what they do,
Without being threatened to be arrested?
With it known without us shouting back,
No attention would they get at all.
Come on let's go.
Before they notice we notice,
Too familiar these tactics have become.'

'You know what's crazy?'

'They do that to get themselves attention.
And all we do,
Is walk around minding our own business.
To get unwanted attention.
With the police to leave,
Where those folks are right now...
To profile every move we make!'

'They want to make sure where we go,
We arrive there safely!'

'Get up off the sidewalk laughing.
I'm serious.'

'I know you are.


Scheme XXABCXDX E XX XX XXXFBXXX XXXAGXXHD CFXXHXXXIAX G JHAJXXX IG EA X
Poetic Form
Metre 101110101 1110110 0101 111111 1111 11001111001 011111011 1011100011 110110 110111 11111101 11101 10101101 1111011110 011101111 10011 111010110 1 1101 11011101 1 1111 11110101 1001001010 101011 0100 10101111 111011010 1001010111 0101111011 1 111010 111101 11111 1111111111 01101011010 111011101 101011111 1111 01110110 1010110101 11110 1111101010 0111 11011010110 11010010 100111 111111 11100111 11111111 101110 1110110 1100 1111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,547
Words 294
Sentences 43
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 8, 1, 2, 2, 8, 9, 11, 1, 7, 2, 2, 1
Lines Amount 54
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 101
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted by lpahtillah on August 31, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:27 min read
8

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