Painting of the U.S. Senate.‘Uncivil War’ by James A. Tweedie The Society January 6, 2021 Culture, Poetry 10 Comments . with reference to Macbeth V,5 . So bleak and dreary, like a stormy day, The world a whirl of whorls of endless rain And wind, with crash and flash from out the fray As cannonades exchange defiance and disdain. Our foe an alternate reality That spews forth pyroclastic ash and smoke To better wield its masked brutality While trading truth and light for being woke. To-morrow, and to-morrow we shall vest Our sound and fury full-upon the stage. And then shall truth be heard no more? As sets The sun shall darkness be our proffered wage? New truth declaimed by Lorelei whose singing Lures with lies while signifying nothing. . . James A. Tweedie is a recently retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He likes to walk on the beach with his wife. He has written and self-published four novels and a collection of short stories. He has several hundred unpublished poems tucked away in drawers. 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. Trending now: 10 Responses Evan Mantyk January 6, 2021 Thank you for the poem, Mr. Tweedie! “Pyroclastic ash and smoke” indeed! The day is yet undecided, so I say: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead.” (Henry V) Reply Sally Cook January 6, 2021 So depressing and yet so true. Reply Joe Tessitore January 6, 2021 On top of everything else, don’t let them steal your peace of mind, Sally. Reply Joe Tessitore January 6, 2021 Brilliant work, James! “… Lorelei whose singing Lures with lies …” is a gem! Reply Margaret Coats January 6, 2021 James, isn’t Macbeth the play for our days! It is my favorite among Shakespeare’s dramas, and you use these allusions so well as comparisons to dreary current events. To my mind, your words reflect the entire play, and I pray for the ultimate victory of truth in our beleaguered country, earned as it was in Scotland by King Malcolm Canmore, and given by God. Reply C.B. Anderson January 6, 2021 I loved the careful blend of modern and archaic diction in a well-conceived & well-wrought sonnet, but, alas, the final couplet did not truly rhyme. But that’s okay: dealer’s choice. Reply James A. Tweedie January 6, 2021 “Vest” and “sets” didn’t rhyme, either. Peter Hartley tells me that Persian carpets always include an intentional flaw so as to acknowledge that only God is perfect. Not that I was motivated by that thought, of course. Reply Damian Robin January 7, 2021 Art generally has that suggestion but not always in humility to God (that can be seen as conceited and a good cop-out). Seen in Navaho, Japanese, Hindi, art and even the Western beauty spot. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/08/the-art-of-deliberate-imperfection.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazar_battu Damian Robin January 7, 2021 I also like the combination of blend of modern and archaic diction. Thanks a good commentary on our sad reality. Reply James A. Tweedie January 7, 2021 Thank you all for your comments, which are a small, but welcome consolation under the circumstances. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Evan Mantyk January 6, 2021 Thank you for the poem, Mr. Tweedie! “Pyroclastic ash and smoke” indeed! The day is yet undecided, so I say: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead.” (Henry V) Reply
Joe Tessitore January 6, 2021 On top of everything else, don’t let them steal your peace of mind, Sally. Reply
Joe Tessitore January 6, 2021 Brilliant work, James! “… Lorelei whose singing Lures with lies …” is a gem! Reply
Margaret Coats January 6, 2021 James, isn’t Macbeth the play for our days! It is my favorite among Shakespeare’s dramas, and you use these allusions so well as comparisons to dreary current events. To my mind, your words reflect the entire play, and I pray for the ultimate victory of truth in our beleaguered country, earned as it was in Scotland by King Malcolm Canmore, and given by God. Reply
C.B. Anderson January 6, 2021 I loved the careful blend of modern and archaic diction in a well-conceived & well-wrought sonnet, but, alas, the final couplet did not truly rhyme. But that’s okay: dealer’s choice. Reply
James A. Tweedie January 6, 2021 “Vest” and “sets” didn’t rhyme, either. Peter Hartley tells me that Persian carpets always include an intentional flaw so as to acknowledge that only God is perfect. Not that I was motivated by that thought, of course. Reply
Damian Robin January 7, 2021 Art generally has that suggestion but not always in humility to God (that can be seen as conceited and a good cop-out). Seen in Navaho, Japanese, Hindi, art and even the Western beauty spot. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/08/the-art-of-deliberate-imperfection.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazar_battu
Damian Robin January 7, 2021 I also like the combination of blend of modern and archaic diction. Thanks a good commentary on our sad reality. Reply
James A. Tweedie January 7, 2021 Thank you all for your comments, which are a small, but welcome consolation under the circumstances. Reply
