DISCLAIMER: The characters and events in this poem are wholly fictitious and do not portray, and are not intended to portray any actual persons or events. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental and is in the mind of the reader, not the author.
Headless horsemen
that's what poets become--
Ridng into the night
having inflicted en masse
--their trite ennui
And it's not what you'd suspect--
Not the lowbrow,
the mundane,
the dry-eyed mawkish flow
No, the worst crimes
committed aren't:
"pangs of love,
that pain the heart"
Oh no, if it were only that.
The most grievous sins
are those:
that rape integrity
under "veiled tears"
or assail honesty,
with "saintly angel wings."
that speak of finite things
on boundless, groundless terms
thus conscience turns:
as "personifying hearts"
and "cruel winds of labored breath."
And it's these,
that are lauded, applauded
the misguided laurels
of digestion without taste
And I for my part,
do not help:
defiling the beloved---
exposing their severed heads.
It's just sometimes...
I cannot ignore---
the misshapen grin,
and jack-o-lantern eyes.
In a list
1
Comments
-
I enjoyed the references and comparisons you make in this. It is really a well thought out piece Yem. There's so much here from just where the title leads the mind let alone where the rest of the poem takes the reader.
Poets are in a sense lured to the dark side almost like someone falling victim to a temptress whose wiles are irressistible.
For some reason I'm thinking of the Longfellow poem with a permanent place on my author page and how he wants to read the simpler unknown poets who gush from their hearts. I think because what they write is pure and straight forward without a bunch of cryptic messages.
Your speaker has insight and sees the whole picture and can't help but call them out for what they are doing, taking on the role of the devil's advocate.
I wandered all over the place with this one but like I said, there's so much here. lol I think you have a theme going with your "focused" poems. Yeah, I have a keen grasp of the obvious at times. lol
-
-
You're smart. I tell everyone I taught you to be smart. Is that ok?
-
-
-
-
Perhaps a long held secret,
the creation of the jack-o-lantern---
as a disgruntled poet or creator of prose
slashes with vengeance at the poor pumpkin,
taking out his anger at the poor reviews
he received, compared to praise given
the overdone flowery phrases! the outcome,
a very scary espression!!
Adding your comment:
