Outraged — Summary

frost in my belly bitter against the state the men who fiddle so we dance so we cross eyes

Show the whole poemHide the poem

Learn Poems app

Try the Learn Poems app

Everything from the website trainer, and more: new exercises, voice recording and sharing, reminders, quick review.

The speaker is angry, but it isn't a loud, shouting anger. It starts as "frost in my belly," a cold feeling lodged deep in the body, and the word "bitter" sharpens it into something sour and lasting. The target is "the state," and more specifically "the men / who fiddle so we dance." That image is a neat twist on the old idea of fiddling while something burns: here, the powerful play the tune and ordinary people are forced to move to it, like puppets or dancers with no say in the music.

The last line, "so we cross eyes," is a little odd, and that's part of its effect. Crossing your eyes suggests confusion, strain, or being made to look foolish. Judging by the imagery, the speaker feels that people are kept dizzy and distracted, unable to see clearly. The poem is very short and clipped, with no punctuation, which makes the mood tight, restrained, and chilly, as if the anger is being held in rather than let out.

Read also

More by Dave Bonta

All poems
ContemplativeDave Bonta

Plea bargain

I hear half a beat of drum to serve time have half a hope in the meantime praise God
DreamyDave Bonta

Cibola 3

I awake in the dark and shake free of sheets & blankets, of down-filled quilt. The rituals of waking– the long, hot shower, the coffee–give
ContemplativeDave Bonta

In good light

On a maple’s pale bark, a zigzag ladder—old tooth-marks from a wandering snail? Green islands of moss