"beware : do not read this poem" by Ishmael Reed

 Ishamel Reed is an American poet, essayist, songwriter and much more who is renown for his satirical works on the topics of American political culture and cultural oppression. He was born in February of 1938 and is 76 years old.

 beware  :  do not read this poem

tonite, thriller was
about an old woman, so vain she
surrounded herself with

many mirrors it got so bad that finally she
locked herself indoors & her
whole life became the
mirrors one day the villagers broke
into her house, but she was too
swift for them. she disappeared
into a mirror
each tenant who bought the house
after that, lost a loved one to
the old woman in the mirror:
first a little girl
then a young woman
then the young woman's husband the hunger of this poem is legendary
it has taken in many victims
back off from this poem
it has drawn in your feet
back off from this poem
it has drawn in your legs
back off from thias poem
it is a greedy mirror
you are into this poem. from
the waist down
nobody can hear you can they?
this poem has had you up to here
belch
this poem aint got no manners
you cant call out from this poem
relax now & go with this poem move & roll on to this poem
do not resist this poem
this poem has your eyes
this poem has his head
this poem has his arms
this poem has his fingers
this poem has his fingertips
this poem is the reader & the
reader the poem
statistic: the US bureau of missing persons re-
  ports that in 1968 over 100,000 people
  disappeared leaving no solid clues
  nor trace     only
a space     in the lives of their friends

The structure of this poem is influenced largely by its running theme of mirrors. The mirror, as described in the poem sucks you in once you start reading and never lets you go. The reader is just one more tally in its long line of victims. However, the mirror not only serves the purpose of a mysterious object. It also works to draw its victim in and never let go. The repetition of the phrases, "this poem has," and "back off this poem," move to almost hypnotize the reader with its mirrored passages. The alignment of the lines creates a feeling of struggle, as if someone, such as another victim, is trying to break away, from its grasp. This is emphasized in the line "back off this poem," as a previous victim tries to warn the reader of what is to come. The lines, " it has drawn in your ..." indicates that the victim is still being hypnotized. Every time they try to resist, the mirror brings them back. Likewise, while the reader continues to reader, the structure of the poem changes to indicate the mirror's grip on them. The lines in the beginning are misaligned, showing that the reader still has room to move and control their actions. However as the poem advances, the lines contract, instilling a sense of control over the reader as they have less space to read. The structure of the poem heavily contributes to the overall theme of the poem taking over the reader.