Today's prompt was to write from the point of view of one of the characters from Bosch's painting 'The Garden of Earthly Delights.' Phew! What a mad, MAD painting!
(My chosen figure is the the unicorn-like creature, bottom right of close-up shot.)
(My chosen figure is the the unicorn-like creature, bottom right of close-up shot.)
Freewill
You gotta hand it to them-
Adam and Eve, they know
how to throw a party.
All the birds and the beasts
and all and sundry.
and all and sundry.
Such a riotous affair!
A heavenly revel
with hell to pay I'm sure.
A heavenly revel
with hell to pay I'm sure.
Past the lake isle of lovers -
and what looks like
a palace, or prison,
scorpion shelled
and a Fabergé egg.
What indulgent gluttony.
Is that a mermaid?
and what looks like
a palace, or prison,
scorpion shelled
and a Fabergé egg.
What indulgent gluttony.
Is that a mermaid?
And a knight in...shining scales?
Couples, quite literally,
coming out of their shells
(or a crowd going into one);
a score of scorned faces submerged.
I don't know why I'm here.
Bringing up the rear -
an unicorn, with a narwhal's horn,
myth mismatched bold.
Round and round we go,
bears, horses, rats, hares,
hooves and harrumphs!,
coming out of their shells
(or a crowd going into one);
a score of scorned faces submerged.
I don't know why I'm here.
Bringing up the rear -
an unicorn, with a narwhal's horn,
myth mismatched bold.
Round and round we go,
bears, horses, rats, hares,
hooves and harrumphs!,
charge of the nymph parade
a full rush of bloodlust.
a full rush of bloodlust.
It wasn't what I'm used to -
maidens and ideals.
maidens and ideals.
But this is a place
where running amok
seems the general idea,
seems the general idea,
join the flanks and the frolics
of fowl and foul.
of fowl and foul.
Apples upon apples everywhere -
do you think it's a motif?
A feast of fantasy,
temptation taken.
The clatter, the maelstrom
the bloody racket
the shrieks and laughter
the weird characters -
human nature
when it's let go,
a fruitful free-for-all.
Eden was just cocktail hour
compared to this.
Oh I should be
on a carousel somewhere
adorned in lights -
not this carnal circus show.
do you think it's a motif?
A feast of fantasy,
temptation taken.
The clatter, the maelstrom
the bloody racket
the shrieks and laughter
the weird characters -
human nature
when it's let go,
a fruitful free-for-all.
Eden was just cocktail hour
compared to this.
Oh I should be
on a carousel somewhere
adorned in lights -
not this carnal circus show.
Do you think freedom is a foible
that maybe we will have
to pay for later?
to pay for later?
Thanks, I liked this poem, esp the last line - I found your blog and a-blog-of-one's-own (nice title) when looking for U A Fanthorpe and see you have a wealth of things to explore. I look forward to it.
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