Haven’t you noticed?
Used to be
there was punching
and kicking and slapping
and shooting
and sometimes
not always
on target
but now
now
everywhere you look
there’s kung fu
in all varieties
and knocking down
and getting up
to be knocked down
some more
or thrown across
the room or
through the window
extra broken glass
and even flying through
the kicking air
and slashing knives
more close-ups
spurting blood
slitting throats
slashing
and shooting
lots of shooting
Peckinpah
no longer
unique
and bullets everywhere
and bombs
and gas explosions
and bodies dismembered
and people always
ready to fight
even when
they’re not ready
and we get used to it
and violence becomes
a way of life
and kill shots with
unbelievable accuracy
and close-ups
as more and more people
are shot in the head.