Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Verdict


'Lunch' ~ George Tooker, 1964


The Jurors

locked in a small room
hunched over their plates
eating in silence

weighed down
by the sheer magnitude
of what they are asked to do

a cross section of Americans
his peers

numbers one through twelve
no names

ready to examine the evidence
without theory or conjecture

do their civic duty
serve up a just verdict


Posted by Helen at 12:09 PM
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54 comments:

  1. Brian MillerDecember 4, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    nice...i always think about that movie they had us watch in english...12 angry men when i think of juries...interesting and fresh take on the prompt...

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  2. Stafford RayDecember 4, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    Great take! I thought of your jury duty stint as I read it.

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  3. Kathe W.December 4, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    Smart woman- I like this a lot. I have served 3 times on jury duty-awesome responsibility.

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  4. anthonynorthDecember 4, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    Excellent read. I never thought of juries.

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  5. FireblossomDecember 4, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    I've been called, but never chosen. I love that you thought of the lunch people as jurors...that's interesting.

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  6. Tess KincaidDecember 4, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    I didn't occur to me that they might be jurors...brilliant!

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  7. Mary Ann PotterDecember 4, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    Oh, nice take on the painting! I've had jury duty. I know how this feels.

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  8. Carrie Van HornDecember 4, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    What a unique and awesome take on the prompt Helen.....love it!! :-)

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  9. Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis HallDecember 4, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    marvelous.

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  10. AnonymousDecember 5, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    Loved your unique take - and even counted just to make sure!

    Like the new man in your life in your headline banner.

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  11. JJ Roa RodriguezDecember 5, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    that's tough!.. when we do our decision in one thing we always love second or third opinion, but for them, it is what it is as how they think about it.

    JJRod'z

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  12. Frances GarroodDecember 5, 2011 at 6:34 AM

    I love this! Really original (and it wasn't an easy Magpie!).

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  13. chiccorealDecember 5, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    The jury is out and in the cafeteria eating balogna sandwiches. Love this original take; pure genius!

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  14. The BugDecember 5, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    Do you know I've NEVER been called to jury duty (& I'm 47!)? My husband has at every place we've lived - but he hasn't ever had to actually serve on the jury yet.

    This is a great poem about the process & how it probably would be eating your lunch with those other peers.

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  15. Rosaria WilliamsDecember 5, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    Not an easy task, but one that still feels fairer than most.

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  16. ninotazizDecember 5, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    Helen, only one who experienced it, I guess can come up with this. Most thought provoking!

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  17. Other MaryDecember 5, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    Oh, a jury never occurred to me! Good idea!

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  18. JinksyDecember 5, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    I always fancied serving on a jury - but now I'm to old, they tell me! Bummer! ♥

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  19. SuzDecember 5, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    ha..that was the first thing I saw too...an eerie place of strangers...who like it that way

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  20. Gerry SnapeDecember 5, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    Helen ....thankyou for popping over to my blog...what a great piece of music, what voice control and how sad!
    Glad that you remembered the rice...seems like it was the fruit that made it special!

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  21. Gerry SnapeDecember 5, 2011 at 11:19 AM

    Oh silly me ...I meant to also write that I found this poem very moving and so precisely written that the thoughts behind it all were so clear.

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  22. MaggieDecember 5, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    Fantastic write!

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  23. MaricetDecember 5, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Thank you Dear Helen ~ for looking in on my blog and leaving your kind words.
    I have enjoyed your wonderful vision expressed so vividly. I so dearly appreciate the artistic, poetic mind as it immerses itself to open upon the archives of it's experience and set it before the eyes of others framed with the emotions of the memory of that event. So wonderful to experience with you again. I Thank You for sharing your journey here.

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  24. Susie ClevengerDecember 5, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    Ah jury duty...Love how you saw it in this picture...

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  25. Tumblewords:December 5, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    Jury duty. Oh, yes! An experience, for sure, and the image fits right in.

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  26. Ginny BrannanDecember 5, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    Jurors, such a clever take. Exactly how I would picture them too, deep in thought, weighing the evidence in their heads while eating in silence. Excellent!

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  27. Ann GrenierDecember 5, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    Oh wonderful Helen! What a great idea and so very plausible. Nice write.

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  28. Janet MartinDecember 5, 2011 at 6:30 PM

    This puts the reader right there! Wonderful.

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  29. Cathy FeasterDecember 5, 2011 at 10:25 PM

    I've never had to serve on a jury, but I could imagine it a very hard task.

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  30. Coloring Outside the LinesDecember 6, 2011 at 1:13 AM

    Nice take on the prompt- the silence required by jury duty- been there, done that! Much too difficult for me though- I love to talk too much!

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  31. LynDecember 6, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    I get the feeling these serious folks are coming in with a guilty verdict..great take...Wow!!

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  32. Jotter GirlDecember 6, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    Fantastic! Quite the opposite from Bingo.

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  33. NehaDecember 7, 2011 at 5:16 AM

    Loved the poem :) ... Reminds me of a movie I once saw.. something called "jury duty".. not sure.

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  34. MargaretDecember 7, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    ...but not until they have eaten! :)

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  35. TrellissimoDecember 7, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    Nice variation on this Magpie picture.

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  36. G-ManDecember 7, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Great take Helen!!!

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  37. susan m hinckleyDecember 7, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    Cool take on this prompt. Nice magpie!

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  38. MartinDecember 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM

    One of the best Magpies, this time around, Helen.

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  39. Dave KingDecember 8, 2011 at 4:13 AM

    An interesting thought, jurors, though it was nothing like that when I was one - I'm glad to say.

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  40. hyperCRYPTICalDecember 8, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    I liked your take and counted too! Never considered jurors.

    Anna :o]

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  41. sweet pea.December 9, 2011 at 10:55 PM

    wow, nice take.
    thank you for your compliment.

    =)

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  42. LydiaDecember 10, 2011 at 2:18 AM

    Brilliant, Helen. You really got to the gist of this painting. I think the artist would be honored by this poem.

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  43. Isabel DoyleDecember 10, 2011 at 8:28 AM

    Insight at max!

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  44. Rosemary Nissen-WadeJune 1, 2024 at 4:08 PM

    I like the way this poem has them poised before beginning the deliberations. I did jury duty once; it was among other things a fascinating insight into human nature, as people responded in all sorts of different ways to the task.
    We didn't get a meal brought in! It was a fairly minor case and we were allowed to go out and get our own lunch, and also go home overnight; just had to promise solemnly not to discuss the case with ANYONE.

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  45. AnonymousJune 1, 2024 at 7:44 PM

    Jim here -- I have been on jury duty several times, I like it. Once we compromised on manslaughter when it rolled to Friday night. We didn't want weekend duty or coming back on Monday. I wonder if trump's jury also wanted an end before weekend or coming back on Monday?
    ..

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  46. MarjaJune 2, 2024 at 12:06 AM

    Great write Very intriguing

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  47. Debi SwimJune 2, 2024 at 4:19 AM

    Yes, one does always hope the jury is impartial enough to give justice her due. Nice thoughtful poem.

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  48. Brother OllieJune 2, 2024 at 5:40 AM

    I've avoided this tasks so far - but I like your exploration of this duty.

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  49. RommyJune 2, 2024 at 2:58 PM

    I've never been chosen for this duty, but I am glad for those who take this civic duty seriously.

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  50. purplepeninportland.comJune 2, 2024 at 5:43 PM

    This is so clever, Helen. I love your interpretation of the painting.

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  51. dsnake1June 2, 2024 at 7:37 PM

    I must say this is a great take on the image. Most will see it as a cafeteria with office workers.
    Anyway, you have written so well about the great responsibilities of a jury.
    We do not have a jury system here. The judge (or judges) hears and decides the case. The debate is still out there on which 2 system is better.

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  52. AnonymousJune 3, 2024 at 3:06 AM

    Sad that quite a few poets here are no longer with us. Feels strange....Rall

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  53. Penelope NotesJune 3, 2024 at 9:32 AM

    Although some poets are no longer with us, hopefully their work and auras remain. What is still with us, thankfully, is the jury system currently dispensing at least some accountability to someone who badly needs it. The impact of what they have decided will long remain in history.

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  54. alan1704June 4, 2024 at 5:45 AM

    Very nicely done and great poem - great reflections

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I appreciate each of you and the comments you leave ~~ thanks so much.

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