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Open Poetry #41
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SPIRIT
Senior Member
since 2002-12-29
Posts 1745
California Desert

0 posted 2007-08-15 09:16 AM



I Am Oscar

I am overcome by my place
Within the annuals of history.

I was then and I am now
An egotistical man.
A melodramatic Irishman
Of great wit and fashionable flair.
I found writing to be such a bore,
But…I wrote poems and tales.
Plays also, that parodied the human equation
On domestic discord.
Satirically raucous,
My words became sought after.
Somewhat pompous and booming
I brought much laughter
To the Victorian stage.
And even today
My cutting words leave their mark
On more modern day audiences.

I loved the arts,
The harmony and the comradeship
Of intelligent, bohemian
Under rated and stimulating men.
Many of whom would rather starve,
Than betray their talents,
All the while seeking recognition,
In a world of unappreciative patrons.

I think my wife…Constance,
Added a certain virtuous innocence to my life,
Besides she was financially a great plus, but…
She bored me and I seriously neglected her.
My two children, I loved
But ignored somewhat.
This failing I must admit to.
Although…to my credit, I think
After their births and for their amusement,
I did write several children's stories.

All my writings only produced one novel.
The story of a young man who sold his soul
To retain his beauty.
Many questioned whether or not
Was fashioned as an autobiography.
I could as easily say yes
As I could say no…to such a question.

I came to a sorry end,
That I am mostly to blame for.
I became enamoured,
In love, or was it lust
For a young man of peerage.
My sweet Bosie.
I regret not one minute spent with him,
Although we certainly had our ups and downs,
Like any relationship that lasts a few years.

His father, Lord Queensberry, insulted me
So I, the loud belligerent Irishman
Took him to court, and I became, easily,
My own worst enemy.
Romantic epistles I had written
To my dear boy… came to light.
I was sentenced to two years,
Two long years of hard labour
Within the disgusting British Penal System,
For my homosexual acts of so called perversion.

Some good, I suppose, did come out
From my experiences in confinement.
I wrote brilliantly and with insight
About the deplorable conditions
Of the jails…and thus helped
In passing reformations to such.
After my revelations a new law passed
That no longer were children
To be imprisoned.

I came out of jail a most bitter
And a very much bankrupted man,
Emotionally and financially.
Stripped bare of arrogance, friends and family
I escaped to France.
I died alone, unloved, unwanted
In a friendless hotel room,
But a short three years…
(An eternity of friendless days,)
After release from prison.

Today…in my death
I am appreciated more,
Even understood more… than in my life.
Possibly I was a man before my time,
I leave you with my following observation…


We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Oscar Wilde.
With apologies to Mr. Wilde


© Copyright 2007 das - All Rights Reserved
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354
Listening to every heart
1 posted 2007-08-15 09:32 AM


No apologies accepted...this was
very well done..and I have missed your pen.

It's good to have you back, Dinah!


nakdthoughts
Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200
Between the Lines
2 posted 2007-08-15 09:34 AM


a very interesting story~~

M

TomMark
Member Elite
since 2007-07-27
Posts 2133
LA,CA
3 posted 2007-08-16 12:08 PM


good summary in a poem.
good read

Tomtoo

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