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Open Poetry #15
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Drab Defeat, Colorless Death
| Open Poetry #15 |
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Drab Defeat, Colorless Death |
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RSWells Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533
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Color (kul /er)n. The quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object. The subdued hue of the vanquished is manifested by the lowering of its colors and the raising of a white flag. Disgraced military personnel stand stoic as their own color guard of dignity is symbolically stripped from them. Medals, ribbons, ornamental epaulets and even gold buttons are torn off to the drum roll of the drear. The ceremony is punctuated by the slap to the cheek of a white glove. Communism's strangulation of the chroma of the individual brings to mind the grey and black bleak dress of the Soviet Union or in China, the maudlin Maoist. The Dark Ages were coaxed from their coccoon to butterflies of brilliance in the Renaissance which will forever signify the strength of the individual and the luster of artistic light, lilt of inspired music and liberation of literacy. (Thank you Gutenberg) Death garrottes the living and the lively. The Grim Reaper, a white skeleton dressed in black often takes its time dragging the carrion to darkness. Depending on the climate the exposed child's toy, sundress or even a human body will either be bleached of all color by a relentless and merciless sun or blackened by the onset of the march of mold. Even the soul is given two choices, the white lit tunnel to the hereafter or the black hole of hell. What once passed for the tincture of blush was drained from the face of the trembling Jacqueline as she was led before the bench. The charade of justice has denegrated to an over rehearsed parade whose original intent was long forgotten. The play has become so boring that its actors hardly even look up anymore and even ignore the audience. The defeated are positioned on the mark and unseen hands pluck a cardboard cutout of a court appointed attorney from wallflower storage. Their only moving part, sports fans, is a nodding head as they are placed so to be used as a backboard for an unblocked shot served by this judge with a minor assist from the predictable prosecutor. This judge, the famous Ted Poe (graven raven) would be lost in any crowd. Plain and thin lipped, humourless and colorless. But this isn't any crowd y'all. This is his stockyard. These his chattel. The white haired, ashen skinned, black robed Baron of the Bar Won ranch who's gained international fame for his creative humiliation of the dregs dragged before him. He alternately harrassed the scared woman before him for her frightened whisper, then harangued her for speaking too fast saying "Slow down this is Texas, we speak slow". If he'd broken from the black mold of his rotting comfort and cleaned the cotton from his ears, he'd have heard a southern drawl that would have made even his defeated dixie chicken dance. He gave her 8 months and bored, moved on to the next act for his justice is colorblind. This object reflected too much light and would have the substance and quality of respect had she remained in front of him too long. It was more dark than not when I left. Recrossing the bridge I notice the scrawny trees and wire fences along the bayou were festooned with mostly white trash waving twenty feet above the waterline still trying to surrender from last months flood. People were shadows drifting into night and due to construction quiet stopsigns replaced street lights denying me the red, amber and green diversions on my walk. Turning the car around to head out of Dodge I saw to my right an empty horse drawn carriage. Surely it was an apparition for no self respecting tourist would tour this part of town. The horse was black as were the vestments of the African driver of the white carriage. The sky knew the mood for the sun was offered no opportunity for pigmentation being totally screened by clouds which disbursed just grey and greyer for a quiet ride home. [This message has been edited by RSWells (edited 08-10-2001).] |
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| © Copyright 2001 Richard S. Wells jr. - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Elizabeth Santos Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269Pennsylvania |
Wow! A colorful array of political, ethical and moral circumstances in this well written piece. You are equally as talented in prose as in poetry. I thouroughly enjoyed this expose in black and white. Thanks for posting it Liz |
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Lady In White
since 2001-02-12
Posts 2799USA |
An epopee in its own write. Very Well Done! |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
A very deep and talented piece of liturature! Well crafted and presented...Bravo! The role of poetry is to utter the un-utterable; to open up |
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Constance Member
since 2001-07-28
Posts 393Ohio |
This is so good. You absolutely must show us more like it. I was completely caught up in it and sorry to see it end. The flow is smooth. The ideas and images are clear and fresh---just so, so good! |
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Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
RSWells, An elegant and literate piece of write. Enjoyed |
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Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
What once passed for the tincture of blush was drained from the face of the trembling Jacqueline as she was led before the bench. The charade of justice has denegrated to an over rehearsed parade whose original intent was long forgotten. The play has become so boring that its actors hardly even look up anymore and even ignore the audience. ================================= The white haired, ashen skinned, black robed Baron of the Bar Won ranch who's gained international fame for his creative humiliation of the dregs dragged before him. He alternately harrassed the scared woman before him for her frightened whisper, then harangued her for speaking too fast saying "Slow down this is Texas, we speak slow". If he'd broken from the black mold of his rotting comfort and cleaned the cotton from his ears, he'd have heard a southern drawl that would have made even his defeated dixie chicken dance. He gave her 8 months and bored, moved on to the next act for his justice is colorblind. This object reflected too much light and would have the substance and quality of respect had she remained in front of him too long. =================================== The sky knew the mood for the sun was offered no opportunity for pigmentation being totally screened by clouds which disbursed just grey and greyer for a quiet ride home. ===================================== *shaking my head* Richard...trade in that "litterbox" cubical and those high priced cars for a typewriter... the whole time I was reading this I was thinking..this man needs to be writing unbridled... think fiction...think novels .. this is awesome writing, both in anology and imagery. my prayers for Jacqueline. jm I know no one is to blame |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Richard you definitely created a colorful expose in this black and white piece. This was simply writing at its finest! Wow! I went to Google to search out that Judge Ted Poe, and trust me if I am ever in Texas I shall want to keep out of his way, there ought to be a law against him, ins't that a tad extreme? To see real beauty ~ being blindfolded helps! ~* Mysteria *~ [This message has been edited by Mysteria (edited 08-10-2001).] |
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Professor Gloom Member Elite
since 2000-07-23
Posts 3082of Depression |
An interesting write, I incorporated some of same in a poem I placed in the Dark Passion of a similar title but shorter and a tad more structure. Enjoyed you writing, but it might have been broken down to several individual rants er.. I mean Poems. Gloom |
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RSWells Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533 |
Thank you all for your attention to this offering. I'm flattered by your remarks and encouragement. Prof, you had me worried till I saw your post was this afternoons. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to decieve" |
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citizenx Member
since 2001-07-31
Posts 189motorcade |
Communism's strangulation of the chroma of the individual brings to mind the grey and black bleak dress of the Soviet Union or in China, the maudlin Maoist. PHEW!!!!!!! this is certainly a multilayered piece. This will be the first poem to be put into my library, and one I am sure to return to again and again. Bravo Mr Wells. shadows flicker sweet end tame |
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rwood Member Elite
since 2000-02-29
Posts 3793Tennessee |
Amazing recounts of reality, with imagery versed out to bite eyes wide open. So many issues of color. Or lack of. I would like to read more of what you have to think on JFK and Jacqueline. Just a request. I really do enjoy reading your work. Sincerely, Regina |
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