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.
湿梦
从前在煤气灯区
我牵着我的苏格兰梗狗，名叫Biscuit
我们走到区的深处，直到
Biscuit突然停下，站在原地不动
站在一条挂满骄傲旗帜的小巷角落
从那里走出来一场喧闹的集会
Biscuit嗅了几下后，开始飞奔
穿梭在人群中，却丝毫没有冲撞
我被牵引着，拼命奔跑、气喘吁吁
耳边传来最整齐的呼喊
“加油布兰登”
“加油布兰登”
幸运的是，我的Biscuit逐渐放慢了脚步
当我们接近集会的尽头时
在小巷的尽头我们看见
一个穿黑西装的小丑，
不，是个气球，戴着一顶橙色的皇冠
Biscuit围着气球悄悄走着
嗅一嗅，走几步，嗅一嗅，走几步，直到它走到一栋宏伟的建筑前
正午时分，霓虹灯闪烁出彩虹的颜色
“司法部”，Biscuit朝着它的牌子吠了一声
然后他走上台阶，停在一个高而宽的晾衣架前
架子上挂着一张特大号的床单，豪华得像是新婚的喜庆用品
Biscuit嗅了嗅床单，鼻子停在一个显眼的污渍上
那形状像我在西班牙参观过的一个乡村俱乐部
为了确认我的怀疑，我用iPhone搜索了这个污渍的图片
让我惊讶的是，谷歌显示这是位于海啸区的Mar-a-Lago
就在我准备搜索这个也许我欣赏的Mar-a-Lago时
我的左肩被一个穿轮滑的金发女郎拍了一下
她身上散发出刚才我吃过的炸鸡的香味
她指了指旁边的Hooters
我摇了摇头，指向那个污渍
她瞥了一眼床单，皱起眉头惊呼“哦，不，又是这样”
为了解开我紧锁的眉头
她俯下身在我耳边低语
这是我们司法部长昨晚的“湿梦”
这首诗《湿梦》编织了讽刺、政治评论和超现实的意象，生动幽默地批判了当代美国的面貌。背景设在充满活力的煤气灯区，诗中讲述了叙述者和他的狗Biscuit，偶然闯入了一个将社会抗议、政治讽刺和荒诞元素结合在一起的场景。
诗歌开头描写叙述者带着他的苏格兰梗犬散步，狗无辜地嗅着周围的气味，带领他们进入了一个“喧闹的集会”。这场集会在都市小巷里，以骄傲的彩虹旗为背景，充满了讽刺和矛盾，将LGBTQ+骄傲的形象与“Let’s go Brandon”的呼喊声混合在一起。这句口号是一句政治隐喻，常被一些保守团体用作间接批评拜登总统的方式，奠定了诗歌讽刺的基调。
Biscuit的鼻子引导叙述者到一个被称为“穿黑色西装的笨蛋”或“气球”的人物面前，戴着一顶“橙色的王冠”——这很可能是对唐纳德·特朗普的讽刺。诗歌将这位前总统与一个超现实的气球形象融合在一起，用幽默来嘲弄他那种夸张的公众形象和人们对他的看法。
在小巷的尽头，矗立着“司法部”的招牌，Biscuit嗅着一块豪华的平整床单，上面有一个“显眼的”污渍，进一步加深了荒诞的氛围。诗中暗示了这一污渍与丑闻相关，令人联想到最近的政治事件，特别是围绕特朗普佛罗里达州住所Mar-a-Lago的调查。将这个污渍形象化为类似Mar-a-Lago，特别是在“海啸区”，诗歌暗示了特朗普及其关联者面临的持续法律纠纷和争议。
接下来，叙述者遇到一个穿着轮滑的金发女子，散发着炸鸡的香味，指向旁边的Hooters，这增添了日常美国生活的俗气元素。当她悄悄告诉叙述者这个污渍是司法部长（AG）的“湿梦”时，讽刺的基调达到了顶点，暗示司法部对特朗普的追踪几乎像是一个幻想——一种幻想或执着的追求。
在风格上，这首诗轻松、不拘一格，充满了生动的意象和文字游戏。标题和结尾中“湿梦”的选择，将一种抽象的政治批评转化为粗俗而鲜明的讽刺。叙述结构从一个超现实的意象跳到另一个，突显出现代政治的混乱、媒体的夸张以及公众舆论的变幻无常。
总而言之，《湿梦》通过幽默、超现实和讽刺来评论美国分裂的政治气候，在这个气候中，表象和荒谬往往掩盖了实质。它批判了政治可以变成一种执念，几乎像是一种幻想——一种在公众心中生动存在的想象中的胜利或失败，不管现实如何。
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