by phillipw | May 5, 2020 | AS, DE, LO, RO
Ashoka Sees Devi for the First Time He fell in love with Devi in a blink, A fraction of an ancient second. She Was far too beautiful. Who would re-think His chest throb’s pang? The prince could not be free Of her (or love) again, no never, no. He did not ponder for...
by phillipw | Apr 22, 2020 | DE, EU, PO
Poetry Makes a Different Exploration of the Realm of Death No poet thinks about the path the wife Of Orpheus took down to Hades. Not One poet ever writes about how harshly rife That journey was. The poisoned bride’s death lot Was just the same as anyone’s. The path...
by phillipw | Apr 20, 2020 | DE, DI, PE
Coco Chanel Just Didn’t Get It, Did She? Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem The peonies grow larger as they move Towards death. They grow as blowsy as a whore Dressed up for some man’s fantasy. They...
by phillipw | Apr 9, 2020 | DE, MO, PO
Centuries before Sappho Praised Men and Women Pre-echoes of that verse, ancient Greek In poetry, go back so far that lost Verbs, Indo-European ones, can almost squeak Through Sappho. It is like they are embossed Behind her blond papyrus. Her inked lines Were written...
by phillipw | Apr 3, 2020 | AT, DE
Love that is Love “Then his folly is Pure madness, but his wisdom a philosopher’s” From the Phaedrus of Alexis, In Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae A giant book about gastronomy And wisdom—if such stuff can be...
by phillipw | Mar 22, 2020 | DE, LI, PO
Éminences Grises The lines go on and on, so distant that They seem much farther from their readership Than Beacon Hill is from Medicine Hat. Such writing comes about through leadership Of theoretic minds as cool as crabs In Arctic zones. A Wallace Stevens,...