It’s been a long, long time since I entered the dVerse poetry community pub, because life is a thing and my memory banks became overloaded. But, I’ve found my way back, without using a map!
I’m happy to have found my way back and take part in the Quadrille at dVerse, hosted by De. The word we should use in this 44 word poem is ‘jump’, or a variation of it.
I hope you enjoy my variation on the fairytale The Emperor’s New Clothes!
bitter you are, with your lemon sharp teeth, spouting cruel words from far beneath the rasp of your tongue and the knife of your smile, you may possess beauty, but your character is vile, your acidic ways are a corrosive salt crown, your thorns drawing blood from the hearts that you’ve found and cast aside, they’re so obsolete watching you fall from your high horse is delectably sweet
attack you I must for your arrogant ways, your character is rotting, there is a malaise in the depths of your soul (if you have one left), you may be quite empty, utterly bereft of love, life and laughter, of joy and delight, I see there is nothing, something’s not right, the source of your venom is just a pretence it’s a shield, not a sword – it’s all a defence
*****
Through taking part in the dVerse Open Link Night, I discovered a new-to-me poetry prompt – W3. Organised by David over at The Skeptic’s Kaddish, each week a different poet is Poet of the Week, who’s poem each participant reads before submitting their poem in response to the prompt. The poems are then read by the Poet of the Week who selects the next week’s Poet of the Week.
“Opposites”:The first and last word of each stanza must be opposites of one another;
The two stanzas must use different opposites.
No restrictions on form, length, meter, or rhyme;
Thematic:Write about emotions, attitudes, and/or moods;
This was fun! I hope you enjoy reading this poem – do hop on over to the link above on The Skeptic’s Kaddish blog to read more of the wonderful poems. You could even take part yourself!
tabloid hacks prostituted for pennies with sketches of our demise making his name making their name off our benighted backs
Name us:
Polly Nicholls Annie Chapman Elizabeth Stride Kate Eddowes Mary Jane Kelly
He shall not be named
*****
This week in dVerse Quadrille Monday, our welcoming host Mish asked to mull draw with words a poem based on the word, ‘in any way we feel, as long as the word ‘sketch’ is included somewhere, in some related form. Of course, it being a quadrille, there absolutely must be 44 words in the poem, no more and no less. I’ve counted my offering several times, so I hope I’ve managed to count correctly!
My poem is inspired by the women, the ‘canonical five’ who were brutally murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. They were incorrectly much maligned as prostitutes, with this role being looked down on and criticised for decades. Instead, they were poor, working class women, trying to make a life in an extraordinarily tough environment. If you want to find out more about them as women and not just victims, I can highly recommend Hallie Rubenhold’s book The Five. They deserve to be known.
Do head on over to read the imaginative offerings of the poets who make up this wonderful dVerse poetry community – and why not take part yourself?!
