Poem for Underdog

So I was looking through the book of poems and was intrigued by the title of this poem by Matthew Rohrer. Just looking at it, I expected some sort of story with the main character(s) being weak or inferior to others.

The first line really caught my interest because it reminded me of the activity that we did in class where we had to write about a moment where we were better than everybody else. It gave the sense that the narrator saw something god-like that was heart wrenching and dramatic. I also loved the two lines where consecutively he mentions seeing an illicit mushroom's activities that are happening on the moon and also seeing panda's in a darkened park. Especially the part about the mushroom, it makes me envision a drug trip where somebody feels on top of the world and is seeing this magnificent image.

The other part that caught my interest was where he mentions the cashier at Sears who was not wearing a bra. One, I find it hilarious that while somebody would be in a work environment like that, that they wouldn't be dressed fully and that it would visible enough for others to see. It's just like from a movie where this is the girl that everybody wants to see and here this person(I assume to be a male) has seen the beautiful girl and part of her undergarments.

Right after this, the author breaks into a completely different mood and tone where he is talking about a yellow and brown cloud. I believe this reaffirmed my belief that this man is intoxicated with some sort of drugs because I have never heard of a cloud that is anything like either of those colors. I would like to know where the grandparents' house that the reader mentioned is in relation to country/state. I feel this could really enhance the poem and make it even more enjoyable for the reader.

The end of the poem also clarified my prediction about this person being cocky about how he stairs in the mirror sees two pools of humility as the others just dream of getting to look into the mirror.

I enjoyed reading this poem and would recommend it. It is a short, but fun read and has a sense of adventure. In addition it has great imagery and a cool feel of accomplishment.

By: Perry Wertheimer