[stylist] Poem - "Pharaohs" - Second Draft

[William L Houts]

Hi Barbara,

Thanks for giving this one a chance, and somewhat more than a chance.  
I've now given "Pharaohs" a second and a third glance and feel it's not 
so bad after all.  My favorite line, if it's not in the poorest taste to 
say so, is the line about crocodiles.
   Oh, I am a very bad and wicked, wicked, poet.




--Bill





On 12/11/2014 6:39 AM, Barbara Hammel wrote:
> I actually like this one better than the Christmas card one.
> Barbara
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> Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down.--Robert 
> Frost
> -----Original Message----- From: William L Houts via stylist
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2014 12:02 AM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: [stylist] Poem - "Pharaohs" - Second Draft
>
>
>
> HI Gang,
>
> Wrote this one just this morning, and made it to the 2nd and a halfish
> draft since.  I feel it's a half fair effort, though maybe not as
> successful as "Christmas Card" was, if you remember that one. Comments
> welcome, even if they're boo hiss, LOL.
>
>
> --Bill
>
>
> ---
>
> Pharaohs
>
> Surely, some wonder's the key
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> to this ancient feat:fitting five
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> ton blocks each to each, that nary
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> a razor can slip between joins.
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> No need to hustle in Martians or masters
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> of spacetime as perfect as wheels.
>
> They were strange as ourselves,
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> if otherwise drawn: an African culture
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> of princes and fools,farmers and priests
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> as wise and as dull as our own.
>
> Worker's graves near pyramid
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> mount tell a tale of human extemt:
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> of broken bones, inadequate wages,
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> a pharaoh's unslakeable ache
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> to beard the gods in river-fed den;
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> so kin to them, we are, so hungry for heaven
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> our cars like elegant barges of steel.
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> In them we ply our avenue Niles,
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> keep feral desert gods
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> (O Horus cash my check)
>
> fear famine, plague and debt,
>
> and divers crocodiles.
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-- 


"Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"