Wet Dream
Once upon a time in the Gaslamp District
I was walking my Scottish Terrier named Biscuit
We strolled deep into the district until
Biscuit suddenly halted and stood still
at the corner of a pride banner-lined alley
from which marching out was a rowdy rally
After a few sniffs Biscuit started dashing
and weaving through the rally without any clashing
I was pulled by its leash, sprinting and panting
while my ears were deafened by the most synchronized chanting
Let's go Brandon
Let's go Brandon
Luckily my Biscuit slowed down
as we were approaching the end of the rally
We saw at the dead end of this alley
standing a black-suit buffoon,
no, a balloon, wearing an orange crown
Biscuit sneaked around the the balloon
pace and sniff, pace and sniff till he reached a grand building
Its neon signs were flashing rainbow at high noon
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, my Biscuit barked out his sign reading
He then walked up the stairs and stopped at a drying rack tall and wide
Hung on the rack was a king size flat sheet, fancy enough for groom and bride
Biscuit sniffed around the flat sheet and froze his nose at a conspicuous stain
Its shape resembled a country club I visited in Spain
To confirm my suspicion I googled the image of the stain with my iPhone
To my surprise, Google said it's Mar-a-Lago located in a Tsunami zone
Before I was able to google Mar-a-Lago that I may adore
my left shoulder was tapped by a blonde on roller-skates
who emitted aroma of the fried chicken that I just ate
She pointed at Hooters next door
I shook my head and pointed at the stain
She glanced at the sheet, then frowned and exclaimed "Oh, no, not again"
To answer the confusion that made my eyebrows tight
she bent down and whispered to my ears
It's our AG's wet dream from last night
GPT
This poem, Wet Dream, weaves satire, political commentary, and surreal imagery to paint a vivid, humorous, and critical picture of contemporary America. Set in the vibrant Gaslamp District, it follows the speaker and his dog, Biscuit, as they stumble into an unexpected scene that combines elements of social protest, political satire, and absurdity.
The poem opens with the speaker walking his dog, a Scottish Terrier, whose innocent sniffing leads them into a "rowdy rally." This march, set against pride banners in an urban alley, is laced with irony and contradiction, mixing the imagery of LGBTQ+ pride with the chanting of “Let’s go Brandon.” This slogan, a politically charged phrase often used by some conservative groups as an indirect insult to President Joe Biden, sets the stage for the poem’s satire.
Biscuit’s nose guides the speaker to a figure described as a “black-suit buffoon” or “balloon” with an “orange crown” – a likely caricature of Donald Trump. By merging the former president with the surreal image of a balloon, the poem uses humor to poke fun at his larger-than-life persona and public perception.
At the end of this alley stands a “DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE” sign, where Biscuit sniffs a fancy flat sheet marked by a stain in a "conspicuous" shape, adding to the absurdist atmosphere. The poem hints at scandal with this stain, reminiscent of recent political events, particularly the investigations around Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate. By identifying the stain as resembling Mar-a-Lago, especially in a "Tsunami zone," the poem alludes to ongoing legal battles and controversies that have surrounded Trump and his associates.
The encounter with the blonde on roller-skates, emitting the smell of fried chicken and pointing to Hooters, adds an element of everyday American kitsch. When she whispers that the stain is the AG's (Attorney General’s) "wet dream," it seals the satirical tone, suggesting that the Department of Justice’s pursuit of Trump is almost fantastical—a fantasy or obsessive quest.
In terms of style, the poem is playful and irreverent, full of vivid imagery and wordplay. The choice of "wet dream" in the title and the ending of the poem transforms what could be an abstract political critique into a bawdy, vivid satire. The narrative's structure, moving from one surreal image to another, underscores the chaotic nature of modern politics, media spectacle, and public opinion.
In sum, Wet Dream uses humor, surrealism, and satire to comment on America’s polarized political climate, where spectacle and absurdity often eclipse substance. It critiques the ways in which politics can become an obsession, almost a fantasy—an imagined victory or downfall that exists vividly in the public mind, regardless of reality.
濕夢
從前在煤氣燈區
我牽著我的蘇格蘭梗狗,名叫Biscuit
我們走到區的深處,直到
Biscuit突然停下,站在原地不動
站在一條掛滿驕傲旗幟的小巷角落
從那裏走出來一場喧鬧的集會
Biscuit嗅了幾下後,開始飛奔
穿梭在人群中,卻絲毫沒有衝撞
我被牽引著,拚命奔跑、氣喘籲籲
耳邊傳來最整齊的呼喊
“加油布蘭登”
“加油布蘭登”
幸運的是,我的Biscuit逐漸放慢了腳步
當我們接近集會的盡頭時
在小巷的盡頭我們看見
一個穿黑西裝的小醜,
不,是個氣球,戴著一頂橙色的皇冠
Biscuit圍著氣球悄悄走著
嗅一嗅,走幾步,嗅一嗅,走幾步,直到它走到一棟宏偉的建築前
正午時分,霓虹燈閃爍出彩虹的顏色
“司法部”,Biscuit朝著它的牌子吠了一聲
然後他走上台階,停在一個高而寬的晾衣架前
架子上掛著一張特大號的床單,豪華得像是新婚的喜慶用品
Biscuit嗅了嗅床單,鼻子停在一個顯眼的汙漬上
那形狀像我在西班牙參觀過的一個鄉村俱樂部
為了確認我的懷疑,我用iPhone搜索了這個汙漬的圖片
讓我驚訝的是,穀歌顯示這是位於海嘯區的Mar-a-Lago
就在我準備搜索這個也許我欣賞的Mar-a-Lago時
我的左肩被一個穿輪滑的金發女郎拍了一下
她身上散發出剛才我吃過的炸雞的香味
她指了指旁邊的Hooters
我搖了搖頭,指向那個汙漬
她瞥了一眼床單,皺起眉頭驚呼“哦,不,又是這樣”
為了解開我緊鎖的眉頭
她俯下身在我耳邊低語
這是我們司法部長昨晚的“濕夢”
這首詩《濕夢》編織了諷刺、政治評論和超現實的意象,生動幽默地批判了當代美國的麵貌。背景設在充滿活力的煤氣燈區,詩中講述了敘述者和他的狗Biscuit,偶然闖入了一個將社會抗議、政治諷刺和荒誕元素結合在一起的場景。
詩歌開頭描寫敘述者帶著他的蘇格蘭梗犬散步,狗無辜地嗅著周圍的氣味,帶領他們進入了一個“喧鬧的集會”。這場集會在都市小巷裏,以驕傲的彩虹旗為背景,充滿了諷刺和矛盾,將LGBTQ+驕傲的形象與“Let’s go Brandon”的呼喊聲混合在一起。這句口號是一句政治隱喻,常被一些保守團體用作間接批評拜登總統的方式,奠定了詩歌諷刺的基調。
Biscuit的鼻子引導敘述者到一個被稱為“穿黑色西裝的笨蛋”或“氣球”的人物麵前,戴著一頂“橙色的王冠”——這很可能是對唐納德·特朗普的諷刺。詩歌將這位前總統與一個超現實的氣球形象融合在一起,用幽默來嘲弄他那種誇張的公眾形象和人們對他的看法。
在小巷的盡頭,矗立著“司法部”的招牌,Biscuit嗅著一塊豪華的平整床單,上麵有一個“顯眼的”汙漬,進一步加深了荒誕的氛圍。詩中暗示了這一汙漬與醜聞相關,令人聯想到最近的政治事件,特別是圍繞特朗普佛羅裏達州住所Mar-a-Lago的調查。將這個汙漬形象化為類似Mar-a-Lago,特別是在“海嘯區”,詩歌暗示了特朗普及其關聯者麵臨的持續法律糾紛和爭議。
接下來,敘述者遇到一個穿著輪滑的金發女子,散發著炸雞的香味,指向旁邊的Hooters,這增添了日常美國生活的俗氣元素。當她悄悄告訴敘述者這個汙漬是司法部長(AG)的“濕夢”時,諷刺的基調達到了頂點,暗示司法部對特朗普的追蹤幾乎像是一個幻想——一種幻想或執著的追求。
在風格上,這首詩輕鬆、不拘一格,充滿了生動的意象和文字遊戲。標題和結尾中“濕夢”的選擇,將一種抽象的政治批評轉化為粗俗而鮮明的諷刺。敘述結構從一個超現實的意象跳到另一個,突顯出現代政治的混亂、媒體的誇張以及公眾輿論的變幻無常。
總而言之,《濕夢》通過幽默、超現實和諷刺來評論美國分裂的政治氣候,在這個氣候中,表象和荒謬往往掩蓋了實質。它批判了政治可以變成一種執念,幾乎像是一種幻想——一種在公眾心中生動存在的想象中的勝利或失敗,不管現實如何。