Yes; when the ways oppose — When the hard means rebel, Fairer the work out-grows,— More potent far the spell. O Poet, then, forbear The loosely-sandalled verse, Choose rather thou to wear The buskin —strait and terse; Leave to the tiro’s hand The limp and shapeless style; See that thy form demand The labour of… Read More ARS VICTRIX – Théophile Gautier
WE are in love’s land to-day; Where shall we go? Love, shall we start or stay, Or sail or row? There’s many a wind and way, And never a May but May; We are in love’s hand to-day; Where shall we go? Our land-wind is the breath Of sorrows kiss’d to death And joys that… Read More Love At Sea – Gautier Théophile
Who are you to burden my life? You come with good wordsYet your actions only bring disappointment Utterances cannot fix issuesI do not accept or condone your bulging pride What makes you better than others?The multitude of initials after your name? They bear no proof of wisdomYour attitude breaks others under your heel Robbing of… Read More Who Are You?
The little worker ants Wear tinfoil hats To protect from the space lasersThey drink their bleach And swallow their Ivermectin To ward off the ‘foreign flu’Reality evades their little minds As they reject the defeat Chanting “Stop the Steal”All the while mocking the ‘fake news’ That reported truth Unbeknown to themselvesThe slight of hand of… Read More The Worker Ants 004
With elbow buried in the downy pillow I’ve lain and read, All through the night, a volume strangely written In tongues long dead. For at my bedside lie no dainty slippers; And, save my own, Under the paling lamp I hear no breathing :— I am alone! But there are yellow bruises on my body… Read More THE YELLOW STAINS – Gautier Théophile
A YOUNG chimera at my goblet’s brim Gave sweetest kiss amid the orgy’s spell. Emerald her eyes, and to her haunches slim The golden torrent of her tresses fell. Her shoulders fluttering pinions did bedeck. I sprang upon her back, for travel fain, And toward me bending firm her lovely neck, I plunged my tightening… Read More THE CHIMERA – Gautier Théophile
The Worker Ants ate their dinner By the glow of FOX News on TV No words round the table were heardTheir little brains numb and filled With misguided dreams The lies had taken root thereNo original thoughts escaped For they had been banned and forbidden Only the orange rhetoric was allowedAfter dinner they watched their… Read More The Worker Ants 003
The worker ants sat in their pews No mind paid to the orange shit on their heelsThe remnant of their leader’s lies that secrete Bigotry, violence and deceitWith smiles and half-closed eyes Their little minds becoming weaponizedThe message never changed Hate the different, attack the estrangedWhen the eulogy had been homogenized They marched back to… Read More The Worker Ants 002
From a recent Political Fiction Class…..Write a short piece in which an ordinary object becomes the focal point for a conflict between two characters. What does each character believe the object represents, and how do their interpretations shape their relationship and reveal their values?WhatsitI visited an estate sale today, not unusual for me as I… Read More Whatsit
The worker ants saluted and marched Their little heels archedNo questions they asked The truth never unmaskedNo concern for justice Only following their AugustusBlinded by fables They felt enabledTo hate, detest and attack Their neighbors to wrackRoy RichardDecember 2024
Ramblings of an Old Coot 