Poetry

. Tamara to Emily for Emily Dickinson We viewed the lighted houses well below, whose roads ran serpentine through mounding snow, zoomed in on walls that formed each hollowed room, then juxtaposed the gaiety and gloom. While crumbs were sprinkled sparsely on the floor to fatten the emaciated poor, the...

. There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie sung to the tune of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" . https://youtu.be/luLcKkCHWFo There was a free nation that swallowed a lie. I don’t know why they swallowed that lie. Perhaps they’ll die. There was a free...

. Advent Twist "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple . . . But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he...

. Sibylline Sonnets for Advent The sibyls were ecstatic prophetesses active from about 600 B.C. in the Greek coastlands of Asia Minor, and in Greek colonies on the west coast of Italy. A few apparent quotations from their verses exist; we know about them mostly from ancient writers who lived...

. Samode Palace Hotel An erstwhile palace, and all wished to claim a former sultan's, not a servants', room. So we drew keys, for all had paid the same and won two turrets and a vast bedroom. But, best, adjacent to that room there was a tiny courtyard open to...

. So Simple Lies are told to Balkanize, To disenfranchise, federalize, To bloat the vote. An anecdote, A narrative, a false footnote To cast their spell on sheepish folk, Who swell with pride because they’re woke And on the side of all the wise, Those guys and gals that burglarize....

. Maria Montessori Seldom felt hunky-dory. Her vision for education Fell short of inspiring a nation. . King George the Second It has often been reckoned Would have been more fecund Had more mistresses beckoned. . King Henry the Eighth, Defender of the Faith, Would have happily run a marathon...

. The Devil and the Hounds of Hell Over and over in the gloom of night, In degrees of Celsius or Fahrenheit. From deep in the middle of a hard-won sleep, An evil entity begins to creep. A dark, diabolical serpentine, Slithers and simmers along my spine. Travelling slowly up...

. What Is Truth? a pantoum To keep us blind and riven You falsify the facts. You will not be forgiven--- These are a tyrant’s acts! You falsify the facts Promoting news that’s fake. These are a tyrant’s acts--- Our liberty’s at stake! Promoting news that’s fake, You think you...

. We Are in for Another Covid Christmas! We are in for another Covid Christmas: __Lockdown tales of woe. ____Now forbidden to fly his sled __Santa is drenched in dread And Rudolph’s rosy nose has lost its glow. We are in for another Covid Christmas: __Fear is here again ____Cloaked...

. Turn, Turn, Turn I, whose heart is closed and locked, Who turned away when your Son knocked And who, through sin, did turn my soul Into a twisted lump of coal Turn now, Holy Mary, to you. Least worthy, no one can deny, Yet most in need, who more...

. Daphne and Apollo “O foolish Cupid,” fair Apollo mocked. “To think that you, a wanton boy, should dare To think yourself the equal to a man Of arms, or even to a god like me, In putting arrows full into the mark Of warring foes or targets made of...

. Failure to Strive Do, or do not.  There is no try. —Master Yoda We’ve traveled far, or so it seems to those Of us who shy from setting distant goals Requiring passage through unending rows Of thornhedge in a maze that tries our souls. We make what’s easy look...

. Elemental, My Dear Slight air and purging fire, the first my thought, the other my desire. ---Shakespeare, "Sonnet 45" I am of air and fire wrought, though I am drawn to water like a dowsing rod. Carousing through thought’s realm, I am a fly, zigzagging near and far to...

. Passer Mortuus Est, from Carmen 3 by Catullus (84-54 B.C.)| Translated from Latin by R.W. Rhodes My baby's favored fledgling dropped and died,and caused us both to weep; and when we cried,each Venus and those naked putti pouted.The passing sparrow that had lately spoutedthrobbing songs that came and made...

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCmLSOndstY . CREDITSPoetry: Robert FrostAudio/Visual Work: Society of Classical PoetsVoice-Over: S.A. ToddPhoto: "Yellow Forest" by Eflon (used under creative Commons License CC BY 2.0); photo of Albert Bierstadt's painting "A Rest on the Ride" (public domain)Music: (1) "Just Chill" by Ahjay Stelino (Mixkit Free License); (2) excerpt from Mozart's...

. The Biden Oil Refrain As President, on his first day, He closed old Keystone down, Then shut off Arctic drilling, Forty-thousand jobs left town. He cancelled key oil leases, Barred new highly needed ones, And then was shocked gas prices saw Inflationary runs. “C’mon man” he begged OPEC, “Please...

. The Gusting Winds The gusting winds, they blow, it seems, more bleakly this December; They bite my cheeks and chill my bones and freeze my aging flesh. As I ascend this windblown hill at sunset, I remember The former days, when springtime’s breezes wafted warm and fresh. How brightly...

100 Days of Dante Poetry Contest Sponsored by the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing with the Society of Classical Poets . . Introduction 100 Days of Dante is a collaborative resource aimed at educating readers and forming new readers of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Through videos that explore its literary,...

. A Shot in the Dark   "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. " ---Ronald Reagan The experts push experimental science, Big Pharma claims to stave off all that ails While arms are bared in silence and compliance As leaders swear their healthcare never fails. And so we tread...

. The lights went off, for long enough, And in the darkness things got rough, All four quarters gushing red— Some bloody politician's dead, We liked him once, yes, very much, And wanted to have four of such But once the pill he pushed wore off And life collapsed… well,...

. Listening to Bach While the World Falls Apart for Adrianna, Paul, and Beth I Sight isn’t needed---the continuous cracking of all The pillars supporting civilization, is audible. Thunderous crumbling of longstanding structures we thought indestructible Pierces our ears with the harsh horror of sordid disorder: Disquieting societal fortissimos, Scored...

. Where Is God? Along life’s way Problems arise. Some seen before--- Some do surprise. “Why Lord, to me Comes now this pain? Let this cup pass--- Be gone life’s rain!” “What purpose true These hills to climb? What lessons here--- What bells will chime?” Come then our friends To...

. Ruby’s House to the memory of Ruby Elaine Seal Rizley (1896-1978) You knew it when you woke up in the morning and you heard The sound of pigeons cooing just outside the windowpane, And opening your eyes, your childish heart was freshly stirred To see that fading wallpaper around...

. On Mark Twain's Birthday He piloted a Mississippi steamboat, Then panned for gold and sailed around the world. He authored tales of rogues and slavery’s stain But now is damned for all the things he wrote. Because the charge of “racist” has been hurled, The woke think we should...

. A Silenced Voice Cried Out  dedicated to Peng Shuai A voice cried out decrying her assault, Courageously to light the way for truth Against one high up preying on her youth— A Vice Premier accused of this grave fault. Unlocking secrets stored within a vault That no one else...

. Allentown Nights Sometimes the nights were full of evil there. Relentless searchers drove the block most nights, While novices in bushes would prepare As Lady Scarface told them of their rights— Just how to rob with sharpened rattail combs, And countless other petty cruelties— Demanding money, breaking into homes....

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBbaZHU3qk . Audio/Visual Work: Society of Classical Poets Voice-Over: Evan Mantyk Photo: Hans Permana, “Meal time!” (used under creative Commons License CC BY-NC 2.0) Olympic Mascot image: Used under Fair Use provisions of U.S. Law (Title 17 U.S. Code § 107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use), for...

. CDC: Urgent Directive Dillard “Sparky” Barker Is a Doc at CDC. It seems he’s done a study That is sad for you and me. “Accidental deaths are At an all-time scary high. And just because we care We had to find the reason why. If you’ve had the jab...

. Four Thousand Four Hundred  Miles The shiny willows waved in yellow bloom Inland beyond the spit of dirty sand Where you and I stood, wishing we could zoom Due east and pace that other treasured land Across the broad Atlantic where the trees Were lemons and their blossoms’ scent...

. Many years ago I gave a talk at a scholarly conference at Queens College, C.U.N.Y. My section of the conference was dedicated to contemporary translation, and the bulk of the papers presented were deadly dull rehashes of critical theory (as is usually the case at academic events of this...

. Guilty Thoughts I Through idle thoughts alone if no-one knows, We cannot hurt someone who never will Find out. No victim: none could ever spill The beans. Can we do any harm to those Among our foes we would not if we chose? Then who so harsh to charge us? Who...

. My Raven My Raven is a different bird. I guess he learned a different word Than Poe’s that uttered “Nevermore.” My Raven tells me, “Furthermore.” “Alright” I said “what do you want? Why did you choose my place to haunt? Why are you sitting at my door?” My Raven...

. A Song of Thanksgiving The pilgrims long ago faced strong __Attacks on their beliefs, And found a land they could command __Where faith would find relief. They journeyed long but still faced strong __Attacks by Winter frost, And lived to see quite happily __In Spring not all was lost....

. Honest to God a rondeau I do not know why Sarah died; I only know her parents cried Such tears as only parents shed When infant children die in bed— A grief they did not try to hide. At birth a tumor deep inside Her brain was found and...

. Permanent Power Plan Scene: While Joe Biden is taking notes, the Statue of Liberty appears and gives him ideas. STATUE OF LIBERTYGive me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free… BIDENBid them leave to reach our Southern border.Come one, come all, per Presidential order. STATUE OF LIBERTYThe wretched...

. Making Asses A meditation on pop star Demi Lovato’s expounding on her newfound sexuality in an interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast (28 March 2021). Are pop stars making asses of themselvesBy flitting all about like little elves,Elucidating little nothings likeA youngster on a Santa-given bikeEnjoying being free...

. First and Foremost We’re human first and foremost: kith and kin. So never judge on looks and looks alone. We’re made of more than just our shade of skin. We’re flesh and blood. We’re brothers to the bone – Yes brothers, as in fellow human souls. Our gender is...

. Three Perspectives from Samos Poet’s note:  The Greek island of Samos, in the region of Ionia, was the reputed birthplace of the goddess Hera, and the scene of her marriage to Zeus.  It was also the birthplace of the philosophers Pythagoras and Epicurus, and it boasted a sibyl.  Sibyls...

. Reality—Plan B If you don’t like the world the way it is, And think that “he” should be the same as “she,” And “hers” be interchangeable with “his,” Then come up with a new philosophy. Embrace alternative reality Where “all of the above” is just as right And true...