The Rhythm of the City - By Mary Louves

Written By: Mary Louves

Category: poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In her poignant poem "The Rhythm of the City," Mary Louves offers a compelling exploration of urban life's challenges and societal pressures. Submitted to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this poem captures the essence of modern struggles within the vibrant yet tumultuous pulse of city living. Louves' work reflects a deep engagement with themes of environmental concerns, societal stress, and the relentless pace of modern life, resonating with readers looking for authenticity and truth in contemporary poetry.

About the Work

"The Rhythm of the City" by Mary Louves vividly portrays the constant humdrum of urban life, stressing the overwhelming noise and pressures that define it. Through evocative imagery and a candid tone, Louves brings to light the dissonance between past and present, highlighting how societal changes impact human experiences. The poem's rhythmic structure mirrors the chaotic pace of city living, while its vivid descriptions paint a stark picture of modern-day realities and the emotional turmoil that accompanies them.

The Rhytm of the city

Original Submission by Mary Louves

The rhythm of the city

Traffic! Lights! Hooting’s a never-ending beat, the rhythm that plays here is anything but sweet. The cars keep flooding as if Global warming hasn’t done enough! Petrol prices rising, that must be tough. The mom driving her kids to school, day in and day out, worries herself to death, finance on her mind a constant doubt.

The rhythm of the city has been off beat for quite some time

inflation, governments and angry people, the old lady receiving a parking fine. “Tragic News!” being thrown around like the chorus of a song, “In shocking events…” makes dad wonder, yet again what went wrong.

It wasn’t always this way; the people use to go to the rhythm with a gentle sway. Smiling and joyful in every way. Things use to flow accordingly, not flood when things go sideways, now they speed on the highways. One … two… three… accidents in a fifteen-minute drive, but what is carelessness to the means to survive.

The world has set this generation up for failure, we survived a global pandemic, money was scarce, but money was greed and the governments ignored our needs. Nobody is happy moreover everyone is stressed, depressed and the U.S. is what most detest.

In this city the view at night used to be quite the sight, on the hilltop the stars would sparkle lighting up the sky. Replaced by deadly shooting stars filling the sky with purple smoke, it’s devastating and suffocating, it has you in a choke. Take it all in, everything you see tonight, while everything seems to look bearable, but not entirely right.

Kids are given screens and sucked into virtual worlds, reality too stressful, too real, too full of pain. it’s killing them slowly but they can’t feel the physical strain. A line of unicorn’s flies by for kids my age, eye bloodshot red from a daily dose of cocaine. “Stand for the picture, let’s post an update.” “The world needs to know.” What happened to a picture frame? We aren’t really to blame. All these things were put at our disposal, the drugs, the screens, the expectations of teenage fame.

The only lights we see in this city, TV screens, bombs and gunshots fired. An occasional “Ladies and Gentleman when driving on … watch watch out for the forest fire”. Schools now require emergency exit plans for shootings, bombings, hostage situations and even nuclear missiles. What’s next? An extraterrestrial invasion?!

The rhythm of the city has transitioned to loud drums that never end, people typing the last message they’ll ever send, screeching noises from the stress individuals feel, so much so they’ll end their life, stress was never a part of the deal. Families mourning, bombs replace alarm clocks in the mornings and everywhere you look trigger warnings.

One day we’ll wake up and the sky will be colored in blue again, but for now, purple we’ll have to befriend, I really hope it does not become the trend.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar celebrates diversity and creativity in literature, inviting participants from around the world to share their unique voices. This prestigious platform encourages writers to explore themes that resonate personally and universally, fostering a global community of literary expression. Each submission contributes to the rich tapestry of contemporary writing, reflecting the varied experiences and perspectives of its contributors.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mary Louves for her powerful submission, "The Rhythm of the City," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her work eloquently captures the essence of modern urban life, offering readers profound insights into the challenges and rhythms of contemporary society. We look forward to seeing more of her engaging work in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.