[Vulgar]

Eng - Nicely done here. I could tell this hits close to home, but if it doesn't, kudos for the extra creativity to get this onto the page convincingly. I thought the first stanza was sick. You explained the parent/child love dynamic well, and the innocence of it before making money and supporting yourself becomes a reality. It wasn't an overly political or economic piece, but more so it seemed to be harkening back to the pure days of just hugging dad on a camping trip and getting advice on how to succeed in a capitalist world, a meritocracy equivalent to the schoolyard. Now, calling things what they are is agreeable, as you talked about Marxism, bourgeoisie and proletariat classes. You also mentioned fat cats/fat rats. I think the verse would've been much more impacting and subtle if you left the actual terms out, but spoke of them in a metaphorical way. It was a shame to disrupt the father-son communication established from the first stanza onwards. I also feel like this verse is missing a stanza, and you were a bit shy with the length. For me, there clearly needs to be a stanza where we see some of the narrator's work experiences, or glimpses of college life at least, or perhaps we're zoomed in on the source of his economic findings where he finds out (and understands through inquiry) what he's in the midst of. Overall, a tough read here, a very original interpretation of the topic with B+ execution.

Pent uP - I found the meat of the storyline to be a bit puzzling. The culprit behind the fire isn't specified, but we do get the presence of a maniac - or is that the priest? I didn't quite get who he was having a conversation with, or whether that was literal. I think the gist of the storyline hinges on those key moments where the reader can follow what's happening with the characters. Alright, so I just reread the verse and took something entirely different away from it. I see where you are coming from now, it's more visible and apparent.

This was an interesting spin on a sequential look inside various occupations, and how, similar to the topic picture, each has a role to play when something bad happens. A fireman is in the middle of a burning building, and he sees a man who burnt to death while having sex and being tied up. The woman who he was with is a mystery. I sense there is a small plot hole there or I'm being picky. We see the burning building from the perspective of the cop outside, preparing for the corpses and handling the legal recordings and paperwork. He soothes his wife, decelerating for a moment.

I think this verse speaks to an uneasy apprehension that people deal with in emergency services who foam at the mouth to get the job done and get out of there, to unwind post-shift and drain a few glasses at the bar. It's an examination of the swallow, gulp, and spray, the rougher transitions of the daily work grind most don't know about. "I'll be home late" and "from the payroll to the grave" were significant parts of the verse, hinting at a form of dark humor about the nature of labor, and perhaps the unappreciated aspects of the most mentally taxing jobs. Fire, God, the law, and dead body disposal are all pretty serious occupations. The bartender at the end is the only other job we're sampled, his role being to comfort the bereaved or the overworked. This brings me to the perplexing title: Sociopaths. Is that an adaptable code word for people who work themselves to death, barking at the bit until they consume the bitter meat and go home? I'm not sure... if not, I don't like the title at all, lol, it's misguiding.

The cinematic ending was something to write home about. I enjoyed 'breaths gone cold from death's stronghold' because of its profundity. However, the rhyming in the verse was hot and cold. 'Fire's growth rate' seemed out of place in a realistic convo and seemed to be there just for the multi. 'Won from a scratcher' also seemed stilted. The redneck who got struck by lightning was also a bit corny. I thought the priest was the most notable character, but I applaud you for not really centering in on any one character. You remained almost neutral, giving them their spotlight, and then rendezvousing at the bar up the beach. I do question if this even-handedness, coupled with some lackluster rhyming in key spots, worked against you, vs. having something less ambitious but more accurate about one or two characters, with a tight rhythm to boot.

My vote goes to Eng.

He came with more of the goods in a thoughtful and intriguing battle examining economic hardships and family tragedies, and the traumatizing workflow (and occasional comedy relief) of emergency workers who serve crucial functions. I think since I needed a de-mister to get to the meat of Pent's verse (still not sure I got there) I went for Eng's, who was more personal with it and had a sharper slice.