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Villanelle Nr.23 — Reviewing the Queen and Us
To the discordant witch we had to say no
a long time ago as the terminators proceeded
without a hitch ’til the wee small hours and time to go
home where cold beds lay waiting for us and so
all we had to do could have succeeded
by shutting the rough sheds and saying no …
sadly naïvety piqued the flow
of consequences and firmly heeded
the lies spooked rickety minds ’til time to go
demonstrating that to keep the show
on the road one keeps language fully seeded
steeped in pageantry to test the plebs' grit to say no
to subjugation. They fail each time, a blow
to connection with Source and hence much needed
freedoms die — beyond the pail I’d say — it’s time to go
mad at being drawn into the mystique, though
we all serve strange gods who must be weeded
out with the discordant witch, grilled to say no
then hitch the glitch to an old Roller when it’s time to go.
a long time ago as the terminators proceeded
without a hitch ’til the wee small hours and time to go
home where cold beds lay waiting for us and so
all we had to do could have succeeded
by shutting the rough sheds and saying no …
sadly naïvety piqued the flow
of consequences and firmly heeded
the lies spooked rickety minds ’til time to go
demonstrating that to keep the show
on the road one keeps language fully seeded
steeped in pageantry to test the plebs' grit to say no
to subjugation. They fail each time, a blow
to connection with Source and hence much needed
freedoms die — beyond the pail I’d say — it’s time to go
mad at being drawn into the mystique, though
we all serve strange gods who must be weeded
out with the discordant witch, grilled to say no
then hitch the glitch to an old Roller when it’s time to go.
Published 10th Sep 2022
| Edited 29th Jan 2024
Author's Note
(photo credit: annie-spratt-GJNWAms32o0-unsplash)
In this week when the queen died after 70 years on the throne, I've decided to run a comp on your thoughts about 'Royalty'. [Comp Title -- "The Queen is dead, Long Live the King -- Really?"]
The above villanelle is my response.
Villanelle Nr.22 can be found here:
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/447546-languaridge-connspinnery-a-villanelle/
In this week when the queen died after 70 years on the throne, I've decided to run a comp on your thoughts about 'Royalty'. [Comp Title -- "The Queen is dead, Long Live the King -- Really?"]
The above villanelle is my response.
Villanelle Nr.22 can be found here:
https://deepundergroundpoetry.com/poems/447546-languaridge-connspinnery-a-villanelle/
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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The author encourages honest critique.
10th Sep 2022 12:14pm
10th Sep 2022 2:11pm
Hello PenCraft, thank you for commenting. Glad you enjoyed reading. And welcome to DUP. Best regards, Josh.
10th Sep 2022 11:14pm
Your welcome mate. I’ve just recorded a spoken word audio with background music. Is it possible to just upload the audio file on DUP or must you have a YouTube video for it? I’m new here so any advice would be great.
Thanks mate
Thanks mate
10th Sep 2022 11:19pm
You have to put it on youtube first, and then make a link to it. It's the only option to add spoken-word to a poem on DUP.
10th Sep 2022 11:20pm
Anonymous
10th Sep 2022 3:27pm
Elegant expression Josh. Don’t normally react to political poetry, but find this deftly articulated and not sloganeering.
Genuinely surprised most UK are not familiar with Pax Britannica. Think there are about 22 countries which UK has never invaded. Utterly bizarre fact, given the relatively small size of these isles. Akin to the little-man-syndrome : bullying small man. Horrific list of atrocities. There is no longer an Empire and yet we hang sycophantically to the coat-tails of those who symbolise & represent all that was/is so rotten and elitist. Ludicrous concept in 2022. The UK will never become a Republic though. The monarchy will just be slimmed down and attempt to modernise (good luck with that).
Genuinely surprised most UK are not familiar with Pax Britannica. Think there are about 22 countries which UK has never invaded. Utterly bizarre fact, given the relatively small size of these isles. Akin to the little-man-syndrome : bullying small man. Horrific list of atrocities. There is no longer an Empire and yet we hang sycophantically to the coat-tails of those who symbolise & represent all that was/is so rotten and elitist. Ludicrous concept in 2022. The UK will never become a Republic though. The monarchy will just be slimmed down and attempt to modernise (good luck with that).
10th Sep 2022 11:13pm
Thanks Rob for reading and commenting.
It's amazing how the royal family 'hypnotises' the general British public (well, enough of them) to seamlessly (for example) hand over 'The Duchy of Cornwall' (a billion ££ land-grab 'estate') to the next generation (as if this was acceptable in the first place & no inheritance tax paid), make a Prince & Princess of Wales, etc, and all deftly done while people are psychologically busy mourning (joining in the ra-ra) with respect to the queen -- and all pushed along in uber-hype by the BBC & general media -- aptly done under cover of the taboo of questioning the life of someone who has just died. Neat work.
Are you familiar with the poet Heathcote Williams's "Royal Babylon: the case against the monarchy" book length poem? -- worth a read.
You can download it from z-books here:
https://b-ok.xyz/book/5953677/985348
Cheer, Josh.
It's amazing how the royal family 'hypnotises' the general British public (well, enough of them) to seamlessly (for example) hand over 'The Duchy of Cornwall' (a billion ££ land-grab 'estate') to the next generation (as if this was acceptable in the first place & no inheritance tax paid), make a Prince & Princess of Wales, etc, and all deftly done while people are psychologically busy mourning (joining in the ra-ra) with respect to the queen -- and all pushed along in uber-hype by the BBC & general media -- aptly done under cover of the taboo of questioning the life of someone who has just died. Neat work.
Are you familiar with the poet Heathcote Williams's "Royal Babylon: the case against the monarchy" book length poem? -- worth a read.
You can download it from z-books here:
https://b-ok.xyz/book/5953677/985348
Cheer, Josh.
10th Sep 2022 11:54pm
mum says the the royals have always worked hard, and that during the the 2nd world war they bravely remained in london.
I think, mum, so did nan and grandad ..
I think, mum, so did nan and grandad ..
11th Sep 2022 8:35am
I think the conundrum lies in the fact that honourable people can work for institutions in whose name less-than-honourable acts are committed.
15th Sep 2022 5:53pm
I like what Rob had to say above, without having the background knowledge I felt much the same about the concept and romanticism of Empire and how these remaining dynasties are not only remnants of a less evolved time, but mirrors of our more current divisions of aristocracy, in a sense, those being the plutocracy. We must grow out of a prioritization of wealth over well being, hoarding of resources and the savage conflicts of creeds and borders, to a truly human race that is united and accountable to the world and each other.
This was well rendered Josh and thought provoking.
This was well rendered Josh and thought provoking.
19th Sep 2022 7:55pm
Thanks for commenting Daniel.
"We must grow out of a prioritization of wealth over well being" ... amen to that. A lot of Brits are mesmerised by the royal family, (whole magazines survive on it), intrigued perhaps by how 'ordinary people cope with a strange life of of being born into a very particular role. But I agree with you; they represent an inglorious past and try to ignore where all the money and estates originally came from. Though no-one's got a real viable plan to replace them with something 'better' when they are so deeply entrenched in the British psyche. Have to say though, the last 10 days has shown how you transfer massive power, privilege and property without paying a penny in inheritance tax.
"We must grow out of a prioritization of wealth over well being" ... amen to that. A lot of Brits are mesmerised by the royal family, (whole magazines survive on it), intrigued perhaps by how 'ordinary people cope with a strange life of of being born into a very particular role. But I agree with you; they represent an inglorious past and try to ignore where all the money and estates originally came from. Though no-one's got a real viable plan to replace them with something 'better' when they are so deeply entrenched in the British psyche. Have to say though, the last 10 days has shown how you transfer massive power, privilege and property without paying a penny in inheritance tax.
23rd Sep 2022 5:58pm
Josh, it's an intriguing piece, elegant and true to structure. It is an interesting comp, especially to those of us (well, to me) because the monarchy is not popular in the U.S.
70 years is a long time for a job.
70 years is a long time for a job.
23rd Sep 2022 7:46pm
