‘Living in a Purple Wood’ by Roy E. Peterson The Society May 5, 2021 Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry 16 Comments .. Whoever said that change is good Is living in a purple wood Behind a tree behind a bough; A purple horse and purple cow, For progress is a purple haze Confusing nights; confounding days. Our education system’s shot. No morals teach for we forgot To Pledge Allegiance, say a prayer; Chastise the kid with purple hair, For progress makes a vain demand. No longer may we reprimand. Progress in our community Means druggies have immunity. Whoever thought that might be good Is living in a purple wood, For progress is a backward leap Into the waters of the deep. The government with progress came, Said you can’t call someone a name. Diversity is such a bitch We have to sacrifice the rich, For progress is a purple whore, That hides behind a purple door. The White House is a purple cage Where progress has become the rage. A Socialist President Is now the current resident. Whoever thought that would be good Is living in a purple wood. Advances in technology Deleted our autonomy. While medicine is doing fine Society is drunk on wine, For progress is a purple bell That’s ringing at the gates of hell. . . LTC Roy E. Peterson is a writer, retired U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer, Foreign Area Officer, and Foreign Commercial Officer who currently resides in Texas. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 16 Responses Joe Tessitore May 5, 2021 This is an excellent read and an incisive take on where we are. To be read again and again. Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 Great encouragement, Joe! I thank you! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant May 5, 2021 Roy, I love this. It’s creative, informative and hits the purple nail on the head with its spot-on message. It’s also inspirational… I simply couldn’t resist: … And when they see the purple sheep, The true-blue hearts begins to weep For saps who kneel where souls once stood In the swampy purple wood. The only problem is, the picture of the purple hair… I want mine dyed and styled exactly the same way!! Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 HaHa, Susan! I did not select the picture. I thought it would be a purple wood one. You might look great in purple! Reply C.B. Anderson May 5, 2021 Tell us how you really feel, Roy. These verses are sharp and timely — I feel your rage, and I think my face is turning purple. Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 Oh, C.B. I never have rage. Anger, yes! I have some sharper ones identifying what the FBI is doing now compared to the old KGB. Intimidation! Reply Mike Bryant May 5, 2021 Roy, perfectly and beautifully said. It’s funny that all those who were for slavery during our Civil War, have moved to Washington D.C. and are enslaving all of us. Here’s a great video from Rumble.com that’s true, funny and makes some excellent points… just like your great poem. It’s about thirty minutes long, but worth the investment of time. https://rumble.com/search/video?q=Intellectual%20froglegs Rumble is the new YouTube… minus the conservative censorship. Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 I will make sure to view that by tomorrow! Thank you for the wonderful support and point on comments! Reply Paul Freeman May 5, 2021 This purple ‘malaise’ seems to be universal: And when we see a fair election results in not our own selection our minds become a purple haze – an insurrectional malaise. I’m referencing the likes of Myanmar, of course. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant May 5, 2021 Of course the world’s not on a par With the likes of Myanmar! Those living in a purple haze Are clearly blind to purple ways. Reply Mike Bryant May 5, 2021 If ‘fair’ is changing all the rules By bought-and-paid-for, China’s fools, Then setting thugs and killers free, Then, yes, with Freeman I agree. I’ve included an inversion in the last line as commentary on where we are now. Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 I understand Myanmar and what happens there. I did not expect to see it in the USA, but here we are with an illegitimate president. Note: I never use the name of the occupant with that title. Reply Joe Tessitore May 6, 2021 To have so blatantly and so obviously stolen a presidential election and to do nothing at all to cover up the fact that you have is a display of unprecedented power – you would be wise, Mr. Freeman, to think twice before you belittle the achievement by characterizing it as “fair”. Reply Damian Robin May 5, 2021 Thanks for this inventive piece, Roy. It covers a lot with brightness and aplomb. Keep on Roy, it is a joy. We could go back through wastes of time To giant rocks who’ve gathered slime See in their Retro embryo In speckly, bootleg video The wacko kings of rolling Rock Madly cavort before they crock. Though Hendrix squirmed in drug-fugged haze And garnered sex and bi-sex praise And screwed the National Anthem’s face With a crutchering backup drum and base, His anguished soul he kept encased And grand musicianship laid waste. And one-time Prince, so sensitive, Whose Paisley Park was drug-active, Adored, stood out in Purple Rain, But later sometimes used a cane To salve his onstage overkill, Then overdose of Fentanyl. Reply Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 Trenchant poetry and fitting. I purposely stayed away from Purple Rain, although I was cognizant of it and the drug relationships you mention. In the first verse one can construe that drugs are involved, as part of the problem. I will neither confirm, nor deny my intentions, which actually covers a broad range of actions that could include that by so-called, “progressives,” as one of their problems. Reply Mike Bryant May 6, 2021 Roy, I’m liking your poem more all the time. It’s inspiring. The Purple push diversity, But here’s the sheer perversity- The Purple never teach or preach Diversity of thought or speech. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Joe Tessitore May 5, 2021 This is an excellent read and an incisive take on where we are. To be read again and again. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant May 5, 2021 Roy, I love this. It’s creative, informative and hits the purple nail on the head with its spot-on message. It’s also inspirational… I simply couldn’t resist: … And when they see the purple sheep, The true-blue hearts begins to weep For saps who kneel where souls once stood In the swampy purple wood. The only problem is, the picture of the purple hair… I want mine dyed and styled exactly the same way!! Reply
Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 HaHa, Susan! I did not select the picture. I thought it would be a purple wood one. You might look great in purple! Reply
C.B. Anderson May 5, 2021 Tell us how you really feel, Roy. These verses are sharp and timely — I feel your rage, and I think my face is turning purple. Reply
Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 Oh, C.B. I never have rage. Anger, yes! I have some sharper ones identifying what the FBI is doing now compared to the old KGB. Intimidation! Reply
Mike Bryant May 5, 2021 Roy, perfectly and beautifully said. It’s funny that all those who were for slavery during our Civil War, have moved to Washington D.C. and are enslaving all of us. Here’s a great video from Rumble.com that’s true, funny and makes some excellent points… just like your great poem. It’s about thirty minutes long, but worth the investment of time. https://rumble.com/search/video?q=Intellectual%20froglegs Rumble is the new YouTube… minus the conservative censorship. Reply
Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 I will make sure to view that by tomorrow! Thank you for the wonderful support and point on comments! Reply
Paul Freeman May 5, 2021 This purple ‘malaise’ seems to be universal: And when we see a fair election results in not our own selection our minds become a purple haze – an insurrectional malaise. I’m referencing the likes of Myanmar, of course. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant May 5, 2021 Of course the world’s not on a par With the likes of Myanmar! Those living in a purple haze Are clearly blind to purple ways. Reply
Mike Bryant May 5, 2021 If ‘fair’ is changing all the rules By bought-and-paid-for, China’s fools, Then setting thugs and killers free, Then, yes, with Freeman I agree. I’ve included an inversion in the last line as commentary on where we are now. Reply
Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 I understand Myanmar and what happens there. I did not expect to see it in the USA, but here we are with an illegitimate president. Note: I never use the name of the occupant with that title. Reply
Joe Tessitore May 6, 2021 To have so blatantly and so obviously stolen a presidential election and to do nothing at all to cover up the fact that you have is a display of unprecedented power – you would be wise, Mr. Freeman, to think twice before you belittle the achievement by characterizing it as “fair”. Reply
Damian Robin May 5, 2021 Thanks for this inventive piece, Roy. It covers a lot with brightness and aplomb. Keep on Roy, it is a joy. We could go back through wastes of time To giant rocks who’ve gathered slime See in their Retro embryo In speckly, bootleg video The wacko kings of rolling Rock Madly cavort before they crock. Though Hendrix squirmed in drug-fugged haze And garnered sex and bi-sex praise And screwed the National Anthem’s face With a crutchering backup drum and base, His anguished soul he kept encased And grand musicianship laid waste. And one-time Prince, so sensitive, Whose Paisley Park was drug-active, Adored, stood out in Purple Rain, But later sometimes used a cane To salve his onstage overkill, Then overdose of Fentanyl. Reply
Roy E. Peterson May 5, 2021 Trenchant poetry and fitting. I purposely stayed away from Purple Rain, although I was cognizant of it and the drug relationships you mention. In the first verse one can construe that drugs are involved, as part of the problem. I will neither confirm, nor deny my intentions, which actually covers a broad range of actions that could include that by so-called, “progressives,” as one of their problems. Reply
Mike Bryant May 6, 2021 Roy, I’m liking your poem more all the time. It’s inspiring. The Purple push diversity, But here’s the sheer perversity- The Purple never teach or preach Diversity of thought or speech. Reply