Live Encounters Poetry & Writing, Special Edition on Humour June 2024.
Excerpt from: The Amortal’s Guide
to Sidestepping Awkward Social Situations
poem by Jennifer Allen
Excerpt from: The Amortal’s Guide
to Sidestepping Awkward Social Situations
poem by Jennifer Allen
Avoid mentioning death, it will only offend.
The augmented over-sensitivities of amortals
are accident-prone, flesh-eating minefields.
Possessors of life-extensions are excruciatingly
aware of the risks posed by plane crashes, random
killings and decapitations by delivery drone.
Subtle dark humour will not be appreciated.
Of course all possible precautions for averting life
and aging are taken, but accidents still happen.
Elude the dreaded D-word; prefer euphemisms
such as ‘leaving a digital legacy’ or ‘wearing
the wooden onesie’ to eschew being ghosted.
© Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen is a satirical poet who lives in Melbourne, Australia with two daughters, a husband and a cat. Jennifer’s second collection of poems titled ‘Everything Feeds It’ was published by Recent Work Press in March 2024.