Song of Powers by David Mason

This poem seems childish at first glance, but it becomes darker upon closer examination. Mason uses "Rock, Paper, Scissors" as a model for this poem. Because this game is childish, the poem is playful. But then Mason uses words like "crush" "reams" and "ethereal". These words are defiantly a bit more intense than a childhood game. These words, crush especially, are associated with power in the real world. This makes the poem seem more serious. I think that Mason is really getting at the idea that no power is absolute. All powers have some weakness. I think he is saying that fighting will get us nowhere but will leave us alone. The poem's structure is not overly complicated. It has three sections for each of the powers and a final section to emphasize the loneliness. This poem was interesting, but it wasn't my favorite.