Frank E Gibbard Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Now and Then In England's fine country's early days were prototypes perfected and paths blazed in stratagem and malign ways to secretly operate in areas where a conscience rarely strays. Pioneering proponents of the dark arts of secret policing dwelt, the denizens of rooms inside deep wombs of hard grey stone palaces. Torture was meted out within while chalices were raised up nearby but out of earshot in a prince's chapel. "For God and the King," high praised while a poor wretch's "aargh" echoed somewhere far beyond a prayer's ear, a hell where only the unhearted dwell. Confession would out, without a doubt, for none could withstand that evil skill. Horrors later, in Iraq, archly presaged in earlier time by actions of the rack as practised in response to terrorism of a conflicted highly devout guerilla gang, conspiritors of 1605's Gunpowder Plot. Guy Fawkes' stretch upon a rack but a precursor of water-boarding perhaps. Opinions vary except among the racked and water-boarded who would uniformly cry out in the Tower, Cuba or Iraq with admittedly a subjective humbled opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedalus Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 I see you are getting into the possibilities of internal rhyming, if only in a tentative way: this is very dangerous, Frank, very Gaelic! Obviously there are rules, certain conformities that can be placidly overlooked upon occasion. It cheers me to see you having a go! Quote Drown your sorrows in drink, by all means, but the real sorrows can swim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David W. Parsley Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Hi Frank, I like the piece. Internal rhyming often brings a comic effect - here it brings irony. Obviously I resonate well with the poem's "message" as well. More of what the future just keeps on daring. Can't we learn and improve, keep the lesson? Thanks, - Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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