The day cracks and blows up, spits us out
Pink and slimy, then chews us up
All over again tomorrow.
.
Can you still see us?
.
You are with us.
Once gum is made, it is gum forever—
Bubbilicious.
Inspired by: Patricia Grabowicz’s 2018 project, Chews a character. In her 45 symbols, the designer aims to show—through discarded pieces of chewing gum!—that how someone chews says a lot about their character.
Symbol: #11 of 45
Poetic Form: With a project focused on the act of chewing, I thought I’d pick a form of oral poetry. Lyric poems are short and song-like—they often rhyme, and were typically meant to be spoken aloud or sung. They express the speaker’s private feelings, and as such are strongly emotional.
Process: I did a little research on chewing gum and was horrified to learn it is not biodegradable—it never breaks down! This is terrible for the environment, yet a strong, odd metaphor for eternal love. The title and the 6th line of my poem are found language—both lifted from SEO-optimized articles on chewing gum!