OK Rube Goldberg : Poem & Process

Poem & Process is an ongoing series: one poem, and reflections on writing it.

OK Rube Goldberg

I will rig up a net for the high wire act
that is diving into a breathtaking life
check that it adheres to the highest standards
to definitely catch you, if needed
fully stock a whole pantry or underground bunker
with bags of essentials, boxes of luxuries
build in a secret compartment for the gin, whisky
be the bank balance that says ‘this is safety
go on, treat yourself to that thing you fancy’
try to solve the evolving equation of living
in some grand unified theory; balancing the sides
so that physicists are impressed by the elegance
bring out the always-soft heavy blanket
that, shaken out, casts joyful summer daylight
cosy winter nights, fire smoke.

What I’m trying to say is:
it will be ok.

Share

A Rube Goldberg Machine is an overly-engineered, way-too-complex device designed to execute a simple task. My joke: that’s what poetry is.

We could just say: nice sunset. Or: death is scary. Or: I love you. And yet, we write long poems to say this in many, many words.

Let’s poke fun at that with this form - hopefully, whilst fulfilling some functions of both poetry and Rube Goldberg machinery.

I wrote this one in lockdown, for someone in my life who was struggling. I probably was, too. Perhaps in that there’s something a poem can do that a simple phrase might not: offer a sense of giving, holding, deep thought and care.

I hope there’s movement and build-up, in a slightly overwhelming way that provokes a thought of “surely, it can’t keep going?!”. What I love about RG Machines is that they seem to just go on for way longer than expected - and start incorporating even more far-fetched contraptions to get to the point, which is usually - as in Wallace and Gromit - something straightforward like pouring a cup of tea.

This is the second Rube Goldberg poem I’ve written - adding further redundancy to the form.

I’d love to use this as a workshop exercise someday! Working backwards: what simple thing do you want to say that you can massively overcomplicate?