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Lucifer’s Lament

They’ve gone too far. They’ve set the bar
So high that I’m no longer star
Of My own show. Their hellish plot
Has hurled Me from the hottest spot.
Their claims of care are thin as air.
They castrate all the boys who dare
To think in pink. Girls choosing blue
Are bugged and drugged and neutered too.
Such callous quacks resemble a
Cracked replica of Mengele.

They warp the world with mincing men
In woman-face. A cock a hen
A boar a sow a dog a bitch
A bull a cow. But which is which?
Some say they’re crazed and plain perverse.
I say their cunning is My curse.
Their ills have killed the thrill of sport—
All fun and fairness they abort
Along with budding blooms whose worth
Is more before than after birth
For greedy fiends with steely hearts
Who pocket dosh from baby parts.
As twisted misters snatch the gold
From swindled sisters, folks are sold
The blatant lie from doc and druid
Blending genders till they’re fluid—
An artful act so dark and heinous
Science screams, “She has a penis!”—
Devilment from overzealous
Underlings. I’m very jealous!

And now net-zero is the tale
On howling winds so foul, I wail
At toxic shocks not spawned by Me!
How did this terror come to be?
I wish I’d thought to label breath
The reason for the planet’s death—
To cull the kine that cut the cheese
To tax the food of leafy trees
Until the frail are on their knees
And wheezing in the icy breeze—
Too poor to heat one freezing room
And stiff enough to stuff a tomb.

They’ve stirred up scores of gory wars
To sell their arms on distant shores—
These twits will blitz their orb to bits
And rob Me of My wicked wits.
They’ve spread the reddest threads of dread
Through every propagandized head.
They’ve coaxed and foxed with wiles so vile
Their guile has slain My smuggest smile.
They’ve sucked the shiver from My name.
It’s time I put these crooks to shame
With grisly tricks so grim and slick
They’ll make the staunchest stomach sick!

Oh, how it peeves My evil mind
To be outdone by humankind.

.

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The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth

One sunless, songless day as blather blares
From lips that convolute with oily ease,
The truth will rise from one whose bold tongue dares
To bring loquacious tricksters to their knees.
Its coruscating gleam will beam its rays
Of jubilance on hushed but hopeful dreams.
Its golden glance will lay bare wicked ways.
Its warmth and worth will trigger ghastly screams
From dazzled devils primed to spit and screech
When honesty breaks free to swell and spread
Through souls who thought this gift was out of reach.
One moonless eve of ever-peddled dread
Love’s light will shine. I’m free from any doubt
One bleak and bloodless dawn the truth will out.

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Susan Jarvis Bryant is a poet originally from the U.K., now living on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

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25 Responses

  1. Yael

    How nice! Just as I’m checking my email on a sunny Sabbath afternoon, your poetry magically drops into my inbox. Shabbat shalom and thank you! These 2 poems make a very nice pair and give me lots to think about as I enjoy your splendidly dazzling word creations.
    I think there may be a typo in the 16th line of the second stanza in the first poem:
    “Blending genders till their fluid—”
    should probably be “they’re fluid”, otherwise the meaning escapes me.
    I will now go for a walk in the woods and contemplate if Lucifer is in fact capable of lamenting or if his reptile brain lacks that function. An intriguing proposition. May God bless you always.

    Reply
    • Mike Bryant

      Hey Yael… Susan had me change that line last minute… I messed up! Thanks for your help… fixed! Mike

      Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Yael, thank you very much for your appreciation, your encouragement, and your editor’s eye for the details that matter. It’s an absolute privilege to have you reading and commenting on this site!

      Reply
  2. Roy E. Peterson

    “Lucifer’s Lament” is filled with the genderbending faults of humankind featured in our present-day feckless failing culture that must indeed leave Satan in awe. The hope of truth emerging is the thread to which I cling as aptly written in the second poem. Powerful poems as always that stir emotions.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Roy, “our present-day feckless failing culture” says it all with alliterative aplomb. I simply cannot help but respond to the ways of this wicked world we live in… poetically, of course and I am glad you enjoyed my poems. Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Cynthia Erlandson

    “Lucifer’s Lament” is magnificent! The idea of people being able to outdo Lucifer is a very creative point of view, one that wouldn’t have occurred to me. “A cock a hen A boar a sow a dog a bitch a bull a cow. But which is which?” is just amazingly clever. “To cull the kine that cut the cheese” had me laughing out loud! And I’m sure your second poem is right that the truth will come out on top eventually; but I do hope it’s sooner rather than later! Thanks, Susan!

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Cynthia, you always manage to highlight the lines in my poetry I have the most fun with. As for the idea, it was inspired by a sketch from the Babylon Bee where Satan is telling the Democratic party to rein in the wicked… until after the election. How wild, whacky and delightful, I thought… I must write a poem! I am over the moon you like it. Thank you, as ever, for your inspiration and your encouragement.

      Reply
  4. Brian A. Yapko

    Wow, Susan, you are on fire! (No hellish pun intended.) I have from time to time noticed the inspiration you take from C.S. Lewis in your work and I see him here acting as muse and assisting you in channeling Screwtape’s big boss. This poetry, of course, is so brilliant in tetrameter couplets which are long enough to be meaty and expressive but which, by being shorter than pentameter, provide a driving momentum which is unstoppable and, in some cases, so extended by run-ons that it leaves the reader breathless. It is hilarious and terrifying to see Lucifer being upstaged by those ambitious lesser beings whom he has infused with evil. It is always interesting to see the protege overshadow the master. I first thought of the apprentice spinning out of control in Star Wars, then Frankenstein losing control of his creature. And then went back to your title. Lucifer, of course, was the angel who betrayed God Himself and tried to wrest control of Man. To see him upstaged offers some comeuppance that would be satisfying if it did not so horrifyingly sabotage the rest of us. Your poem walks that tightrope between hilarity and horror as it invokes a Babylon Bee sense of satire which is so outrageous it might almost be true. But your poem is terrifying because… it is so outrageous it might almost be true. It’s hard in these dreadful times not to see Satan’s shadow everywhere.

    I think you are the undisputed queen of internal rhyme, assonance and alliteration and every breathless bell and whistle is manically on display in the Lament. I can’t even begin to pick out favorite lines because they’re all chewy and memorable. You use extensive alliteration in your sonnet as well but it does not offer the manic fear-factor. Actually, your use of this familiar form told with poetic aplomb is comforting despite the awfulness described that is to be overcome. You were wise in your choice of the sonnet form as a thematic answer to Lucifer’s Lament. I think we can trust the poetic voice which reassures us after all the lies and manipulation that “loves light will shine” and “the truth will out.” So may it be.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Brian, “The Screwtape Letters” is a work of pure genius and although the idea was inspired by a Babylon Bee sketch, Lewis’s marvel sprang instantly to mind as I wrote it. I chose tetrameter couplets to give a jaunty feel to a subject that is far from palatable… I wanted to sweep the reader up in the sheer speed of the piece to get my sad message across with as little pain as possible. How devious of me! “Hilarious and terrifying” explains this “Lucifer’s Lament” to a tee and I love your Star Wars / Frankenstein / (and the final) Lucifer the angel betraying God observations. This world has become so darn wicked, it’s hard not to wonder at how evil mankind has to get before a line is crossed that turns a man into a monster. We do indeed “see Satan’s shadow everywhere”.

      I believe the sonnet is swallowed by the shock/horror factor in “Lucifer’s Lament” – it is rather meek by comparison with precisely the point I wanted to make… it’s the meek we should be looking to for our inspiration, not the arrogant and egotistical charmers who woo us with their lies. Brian, as ever, I appreciate your eye for the finer details and thank you wholeheartedly for your continued encouragement.

      Reply
  5. Joshua C. Frank

    Susan, this one is great! I don’t usually see poems of yours written in another’s voice, so this one is interesting to read. Like Brian, I thought of The Screwtape Letters. The idea of Satan being outdone by humans is a surprising concept, but an interesting one… I always pictured these evils coming from Satan whispering in someone’s ear. But I especially love the closing couplet!

    As for the second, I wish I could be as optimistic about the world as you, but it gets harder the more I learn about it.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Josh, thank you very much for reading and for commenting. I’m thrilled you like “Lucifer’s Lament” – it was a tough but rewarding one to write. As for the sonnet, the world is rife with ruin… but it’s also full of miracles that manufactured chaos tries to obscure. Truth, beauty, and hope are there if you look hard enough. Never stop searching.

      Reply
  6. Mark Stellinga

    Susan, works of this quality are virtually impossible for all but very few ‘Poet’s to compose. What you SAY is always so spot-on, and how you POSE it is something only a genuine ‘Poet’ can manage. You’re a ‘natural’, an extremely scarce commodity! IMO – you possess an inherent skill, a talent that can not be taught or learned. Greatly enhanced, yes, but honed to this degree – not possible. You’re blessed with what several million wanna-be-poets seek but only a handful ever capture – superior talent as an authentic ‘Bard’. and 62 years of penning highly refined metered-rhyme tells me I’m right.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Mark, you have made me blush! Thank you very much for your kind words – words that will definitely spur me on when it comes to writing poems of a contentious nature. I am over the moon you enjoyed the poems and thoroughly appreciate your continued support.

      Reply
  7. Norma Elizabeth Okun

    Destruction
    The Demon is always moving about at my side;
    He floats about me like an impalpable air;
    I swallow him, I feel him burn my lungs
    And fill them with an eternal, sinful desire.
    Sometimes, knowing my deep love for Art, he assumes
    The form of a most seductive woman,
    And, with pretexts specious and hypocritical,
    Accustoms my lips to infamous philtres.
    He leads me thus, far from the sight of God,
    Panting and broken with fatigue, into the midst
    Of the plains of Ennui, endless and deserted,
    And thrusts before my eyes full of bewilderment,
    Dirty filthy garments and open, gaping wounds,
    And all the bloody instruments of Destruction!
    — William Aggeler, The Flowers of Evil (Fresno, CA: Academy Library Guild, 1954)
    I thought this would be a good comment on your poem Susan

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Norma, this is an undeniably evocative translation of Baudelaire’s original that sends a shiver… for many reasons.

      Reply
  8. Joseph S. Salemi

    “Lucifer’s Lament” is top-notch work. Dramatic monologues are always tough, because the poet has to put his or her mind into that of a character whose views and attitudes may be alien or repulsive. (Note: C.S. Lewis said he had a very difficult and exhausting time writing “The Screwtape Letters”).

    The tetrameter rhyming couplets are a delight. There are only three feminine endings in the lot, and two of them (“resemble a – Mengele” and “heinous – penis”) are brilliant.

    The whole idea of the Devil himself being shocked and baffled by what’s transpiring on earth, and being somewhat put out by how humans have outdone him in sheer evil, is amusing and provocative. And Evan Mantyk’s choice of that Dore illustration for the poem is, as always, brilliant.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Joe, thank you very much for your encouraging and insightful comment. I’m over the moon you enjoyed “Lucifer’s Lament” – it was tough to write. I found it challenging to pull off the voice of the devil with elements of wit and revulsion in equal measure. I did way more editing than usual but loved every minute of the journey – especially the rhyming. I had C.B.’s skills in mind when I chose “resemble a – Mengele”. One of the benefits of being on this site is the educational aspect. To have created a poem that’s “amusing and provocative” is all I could wish for, and your praise of Evan’s choice of image is spot on. If I could smile… I would… broadly!

      Reply
  9. Warren Bonham

    What a great concept. I really enjoyed Lucifer’s Lament. I’d like to think that even the devil would blush at much of what we’ve been up to recently. Beautifully written (as expected).

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Warren, thank you very much for reading, commenting, and inspiring me with your honest, poetic view of current affairs. The way of the world today astounds me. It shouldn’t because history shows us repeatedly the very nature of humankind. I thought we would learn from our past mistakes. How silly of me. All we can do is keep the immutable truth alive for the sake of our children.

      Reply
  10. C.B. Anderson

    The first poem embodies a truly fantastic idea, and the reader is driven to feel a bit of sympathy for the Devil. Every line fairly sings, and I am left wondering whether it is possible (or prudent) to imitate the inimitable.

    The second poem offers a thread of relief and seems to call on persons like ourselves to recognize and speak the truth, something that many of us here are trying, in our own ways, to do.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      C.B., thank you! I appreciate your fine eye for detail, your wisdom, and a space that allows us to write and speak freely… a rare gift these days. I have a strong feeling our poems and our commentary make a difference to some in a world that has little time for viewpoints that don’t adhere to the mainstream propaganda… and that heartens me.

      Reply
  11. Martin Rizley

    Susan, Lucifer´s Lament uses what I would call a “poetic hyperbole” to stress the great evil of the times in which we are living. If it´s true that Satan is the “father of lies”, then no liar will ever be able to outdo him; they will only be able to mimic the works of their father and use the lies that he cleverly devises to blind their minds (John 8:41-44). Nevertheless, as a poetic device to stress how humans at the present time seems to be “outdoing the devil” in terms of the diabolically clever and delusive nature of the propaganda being pushed on society by the Marxist left to rip Western Civilization to shreds, the devil lamenting mankind´s ability to “out-devil” him is a strikingly powerful way to drive home this very point.

    Moreover, from a technical standpoint, the poetic features you employ– internal rhymes, humorous images, clever turns of phrase, etc.– are so many, so varied, and so skillfully wrought, that this comment would be far too long if I began to highlight them all.

    The second poem is lovely in its hopeful outlook, emphasizing the triumph of truth over lies, which in the end, must fall by the weight of their own absurdity and darkness.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Martin, what a great comment – “poetic hyperbole” indeed! You are right when you say that Satan is the father of lies, which is why it seemed such a good idea to highlight the atrocities of the fast-falling Western world by implying humankind is out-sinning the ultimate sinner. It seems many have had their minds blinded these days. When the drugging and mutilation of minors is sold as “care” – a poem is called for. I am hoping sense is restored and my muse can once again concentrate on the mysteries of the moon… soon. Thank you very much indeed!

      Reply
  12. Maria

    At first I was a little sceptical about the title. But on reading the poem I no longer was. The idea that humans have outdone Lucifer is quite thought provoking in a tremendously good way. That is because there is a tendency for humans to blame Satan or whatever other name he goes by, for evils that are totally brought about by man’s evil inclination. It is a very worthwhile point to make.
    Susan, thank you.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Maria, I love your take on my poem. Personal responsibility is somewhat lacking in today’s society. We are all endowed with a conscience, and instead of going along to get along, maybe it’s time to stand up, speak up, and refuse to accept the “care” on offered by those who have no idea what the word means. Thank you very much for reading and for commenting.

      Reply

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