Number Twenty-three

By Scott Bailey © 2024

You’re number twenty-three in the queue
Your call is very important too.
Though you might be dying or have the flu.
We are doing our best not to treat you.

We have, for you, a million great shows!
But here’s the secret no one knows
Our user interface really blows
To magnify our tiny pool of shows!

We would love to lend a helping hand
Log onto our bank it’s nice and bland.
No humans here, they’ve all been banned.
Help is strictly bound and planned.

Cover

By Scott Bailey © 2026

You a square
A nerd, a regular guy
They said
That’s what they saw
They missed the depth
I am cubed, irregular, weird
Infinite
Spiralling
Spiralling


In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVqq9KxAVD8?xmt=AQF05TtOY3ZAKH108g_kQhxdqHPXEWNtxzRPTRJxgqD5PwM1_4VykF_B0hx1bMdkQUkW5mx_&slof=1

Moonside

By Scott Bailey © 2026

The far side of the moon
Is not dark, actually
It is illuminated by the madness
Of tortured talent
Contemplating time and money
And impending death
Singing into the sky



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVljwzTjAOK?xmt=AQF0ijTRGE28IzF65c8PqQj2lD6KO6Ux2IAN4WdQwR8R16RjRH1EC8I-bQjDzpE-TfWS8PDw&slof=1

Beyond

By Scott Bailey © 2026

Anxiety starts at the foot of my bed
Beyond the impenetrable shield of the duvet
Out there, where things matter
The weight of the world awaits
Only heroes and fools venture beyond



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVjCqLeDDTY?xmt=AQF0F__KOqAJJuMXeg8c39PgpHbyrhf_vv4jLzM_H7vY_c77hf-7Ed_kGXcvVfifx3mJfFtI&slof=1

No Wonder

By Scott Bailey © 2026

After all, we are shameful
Stupid and disgusting
Expendable
No wonder
We are falling


In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVd0NfSDCV5?xmt=AQF05zfA5VykjcQ12M9W7Zx-EcK5mBjbVo6jryreOr27J28n2pnCKFDqGwuMpBwmIEhaY0J8&slof=1

Madness

By Scott Bailey © 2026

What madness is this?
Words on a mind
Defining words
Enclosing words
Words as chains of judgement
Knowledge from the past
That’s creeping back
Like a disease


In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVYrhLmDJwk?xmt=AQF0tmVXOOzh-g_cJ5tCjI_vCyB8Vao_lthIE5yLgaUMM7xbQzLlRi18rDfd0ORn7Fb31zI&slof=1

Wakes

By Scott Bailey © 2026

Some people race through life
Like expensive speedboats
Churning everything behind them
And making a splash
Others sail serenely by
Barely making a ripple
In the end, all wakes are erased
By the waves of time



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVWH_DpiH8l?xmt=AQF0cGEkwT_fKa1x3UglpHoN04VZZ3paNwbJELzNFhyUnspLIYUzN9hInellf9mHPmIqsYM&slof=1

Mourning

By Scott Bailey © 2026

Justice was long dead
Law breaking fragrant
Honour was cold in the earth
Food for worms
Truth had disappeared
Into a quagmire of blatant lies
So it was no surprise
That the empire crumbled slowly
Before our very eyes



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVTjUsiEztt?xmt=AQF0Wm9nzU92Qm9Fopqa3xf6CiWXasKvDDoIP1G2Kwv0D10-qhMVp5vw7ylge2KdrRqtiEM&slof=1

The Last

By Scott Bailey © 2026

The last of the resistance 

Faded

Dragged down and overwhelmed 

The next generation 

Live in ignorance 

Unaware of their chains

While the rich choose their prey

In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt 

ww.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVLxL4aggFi?xmt=AQF0cVgjd39ksHK90NBHVdeSrb8kQM3-sPNL0BRT7OqoO8Kg6d

Weight Lifting

By Scott Bailey © 2026

The weight of what ifs
And the pressure of just in case
Means the future is dull and heavy
The future is a dumbell

In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DVJMPSADoAl?xmt=AQF0yy2oVvj0AG5a59iGvFdNTySb1NUDE2hZcp3K-O5zvQAS3xwl5B4FMem0joD9iE4PBco&slof=1

Twilight

By Scott Bailey © 2026

The time between times
When worlds merge
We see with different eyes
Secrets from the other side
Shadows and whispers
That excites our nerves
As we glimpse other potentials



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DU-7lCGjX8Z?xmt=AQF0X_PqrrKZuxBcMDVP0a73-GUmAPUpkRFPjf6yu-vpeYVJvpEnjmsH8vhI0863q1Ovgp3D&slof=1

Cul-de-sac


By Scott Bailey © 2026

Some people have highways
Others fly in their jets
Some leap into space
For the rest
We are trapped
In the cul-de-sac maze
Into which we were born



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DU0mUSckhwd?xmt=AQF0tstuE-kkyHmW1wZMbfUT8pXHP6aCnk-Wn1X4JVvUqLx3afMhG2upBe8GEwB03q3X61BH&slof=1

The Fear


By Scott Bailey © 2026

For the love of the fear
We wake
Enter the fray
Surely
That’s right?
Isn’t it?



In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DUnx0VEgg9W?xmt=AQF0_ujwR_zcbcBrwl8mQPFdLnAURGKwcJGT-FT681Z4aOjw2dG5BJIkqUr6wlfAnwi14Q8&slof=1

Answers from the Sky

By Scott Bailey © 2026

It was a wonderful day

That they came

Bringing their science from the sky

Removing our problems

No more disease 

No more poverty 

Immortality

I wonder how

We’ll screw this up

In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt 

Eulogy for an Unknown Poet

By Scott Bailey © 2026

He left words

That nobody read

Was there something there

They missed?

Will he be?

In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt 

Trust Issues

By Scott Bailey © 2026

Greatness is within me
I am the one you all need
Victory will come easy
Everyone just follow me

This is destiny
High and mighty
Everyone says so

My path is clear
Our victory assured
Never doubt
Everyone trusts me, so
You just need to give me your credit card number


In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DUVtpLmiMhE?xmt=AQF0usIhR5B8Bb7Vy-nuxyxnz7fn5T36BgcUK60-huv51W41oBcIazwSADXLj_9HfzktvOc&slof=1

The Poem

By Scott Bailey © 2026

The poem

The words

Incisive 

Inspired 

That can reach into hearts

Change minds

Shift history 

Leave the world a better place

That’s the poem

That, to my shame

I cannot write

In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt 

Legacy

By Scott Bailey © 2026

I came from stability
So I crave it
I came from poverty
Where I am stuck
I came from love
So I know how to feel

Where did these
Clueless politicians
Come from?

What will they leave us?


In response to malformed_poetry’s prompt

https://www.threads.com/@malformed_poetry/post/DUDxhMlCIyP?xmt=AQF0AsMPUEp-I94lTywrz95lFEl5XjRM8FlAu6yvbg-ona6j45UhwmKD2ZVrrQRCi_94PbaN&slof=1

A Spring of Dreams

Embark on a poetic journey of 365 pieces, each a unique expression born from dreams and emotions. Spanning diverse forms like haiku, sonnets, and free verse, they mirror my daily mood—ranging from sadness to joy, grief to love.

Amid life’s chaos, these poems offer a brief respite, inviting readers to pause and view the world through a new lens. Join me in discovering solace and reflection within the lines of each verse.