As flies to wanton boys are we to Gods.They kill us for their sport. King Lear. Shakespeare.
homespun philosophy
on animal farm
all animals are equal
except some are more equal than others
de rules are not for everyone honee
dozey old bat
playing with her nutcrackers
cooking up a storm
of poffertjes pancakes
at home
for hansel and gretel
dreams of siegfried
tattooing her arse
with a red dragon ( design)
lights up
like a hiroshima mushroom cloud
at one of his smiles
the sniff of blood sport
sending her into a heady whirl
defeated
at the blood sport olympics
ferdinanda's mangled muddy corpse is
brought in on a wheelbarrow
the crowd goes wild (with joy)
thumbs up thumbs down
not necessary - d o a
he does it anyway for effect
avid for approval and adulation
living out
another rock star/batman fantasy
the liberated ice queen presents
little cups of orange flowers
and jonquils to the matador
awash in pride and blood splatter
Sploosh
here - grab a towel she says
& @#( *!% !!!
i'm telling my mother
metronomes
are handed to the crowd
a choir of tick tocks
faking heart beats
a confetti of
email and text message ticker tape
is released into the air
a flurry of white
the old man stuffs
as many pieces as he can
into his underpants and pockets
(will glue together later )
his fix
his vicious kicks
the X file
a folder of ruin
cue card says Cry
crocodile tears
flow at the funeral
the cash a cheque for Jesus con man
plays homespun psalms
on nigel's violin and borrows
his hair style
cue card says Applause
flashing lights sirens
the blue car pulls up
the old man keeps on clapping
fall out
damaging
debilitating
devastating
dreadful
Like that you included so many of the words.. this plays out like a Fellini film when I read your words... the faking of heart beats.. touch me deeply.
ReplyDeletePlaying out like a Fellini film has made my day. Thank you Bjorn.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing...I love how you've included all the three prompts, so many characters and haven't forgotten to include the mushroom cloud on this special day...
ReplyDeletesecond stanza...so much truth....some are more equal than others...ha...
ReplyDeletedef surreal around the edges but full of concrete images...
You have very cleverly played off three prompts. I love all the characters you worked in for dVerse, plus included some 'homespun philosophy' as well. And, ha, I can picture the old man continuing to clap!
ReplyDeleteluv fairy tales, so obviously, the 'Hansel a d Gretel' parody caught my fancy; have a nice Wednesday
ReplyDeletemuch love...
What a tale, Rallentanda! And the old bat can pass me some crepes any time.
ReplyDeleteWhew! You put me through a wind tunnel! En route to today's anniversary. Prompts may have given you words and setting, but the mood inside the poem is definitely desperate, as in I'm crying so hard I must laugh (or vice versa). Sport, indeed, bloody Roman valor and don't count the bodies or the cue cards. At times we are so many robots with blood circulating empty hearts.
ReplyDeleteSharp, witty, rich images, caricatures in pics and words... ~ Bravo!
ReplyDeleteha - i think i want a dragon tattoe... smiles... and the animal farm... we read it back in school and it's sad that some are more equal than others...ugh
ReplyDeleteWhat one gets on the Animal farm is so true of life's happenings. Nicely Rallentanda!
ReplyDeleteHank
Welcome to the rabbit hole...it is a war down here...runs according to a script however...I love your little flourishes orange and jonquils...very special piece
ReplyDeleteWowzers! You nailed it. Unbearable, the matador and bull, the point of the sword......everyone playing their appointed roles, which means the ending can never be any different. A fantastic write!
ReplyDeletewow ... beautiful pictures rellentanda.. and this was rather filmy... amazingly done!!
ReplyDeleteI think the old man would do well to rethink that glue. You got a lot into this one!
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to go back to read it again. There are so many levels and visuals in it. One read is not enough.
ReplyDeleteyou made it work - and wrote with meaning, very nicely done
ReplyDeletethis was bloody and pain-embracing. It reminds me of Spain's sport of bullfighting and the tragic fate of the bull. I've always wondered: do they eat the bull or throw it away and do they raise bulls specially for the event?
ReplyDeleteCrying in the wilderness? Why is it that poets see more clearly? Perhaps they look in the mirror and see what is really reflected, see what is behind them which is surely coming.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how you entwined all three prompts in a web of devastating, quasy humorous, ironic terror. It made my heart twist a bit. Great writing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sharp touching story....well penned emotions
ReplyDeleteGreat style, great voice, quite long but really good stuff. I see you're going for the controversial - keep going!
ReplyDeleteGosh we have just become a new generation of advanced barbarism as we sit at our TVs watching the bloody games. choosing our favorite blood has to be covered during intermission...
ReplyDeleteExcellent comment Moonie !
DeleteVery well written. The references to things we are told or read a kids is very pognient.
ReplyDeleteReading this makes me feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole! What a trip! ;-)
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures to accompany beautiful lines written by you
ReplyDeleteLuminous Smile
Amazing poem, Rall. There is so much in it that I had to re-read it. Enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDelete