|
|
 |
 |
HALLOWEEN |
 |
|
On the Eve of Halloween  |
They say I come from
burning Hades
With the most repulsive form that’s found on earth or myth.
I’m part a venom-laden rattlesnake, part vampire bat, part
Lucifer,
With a little Piggy snout to boot, reflecting all my gourmet
tastes.
But note,
this ugliness is only skin-deep, friend.
At heart I’m not a fork-tongued devil.
Think of me as agent here to ward off demons
Which I’ll do, quite gladly,
If you follow simple golden rules, as true in Heaven as in Hell.
Do not
cast your acrid curses on this house.
I am the master of the curse, the prince of all damnation,
The engineer of furied negatives.
I’m colossal old avenger of the wrong,
The channeler of due respect and equilibrium.
I used
to think, “Tomorrow I will change the world,
And make it all congenial-a happy realm with joyous people.”
But really, friend, you leave me to despair
That ever I can rectify your four-lettered vitriol,
Or vacuum up the wretched detritus
Of language gross, and egocentric action, and couch-potato-itis
found both day and night around this house.
Look
at me and see your shadow deep within,
Explored and reevaluated critically.
I am your conscience with the furrowed brow,
Recalling your biography with perfect-etched recollection,
Ready to rebroadcast all in future years
If you don’t turn that new leaf over
That you shaped in New Year’s resolutions.
©2008 by Paul Hertelendy. The illustration is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA. This column was first posted Oct. 27, 2008.
Paul Hertelendy is critic
and webmaster for the arts-review web site www.artssf.com, and
is also the Piedmont (CA) Centennial poet laureate. To visit his
website, click here: PAUL
You can comment
on this column online. Please address your message to either
"The Editors" or Paul Hertelendy. To send an email,
click here and don't forget to mention Paul's name: talkback@thecolumnists.com
|
|
|
Archives |
|
|