Lusty Lyrics
An Ekphrastic Sonnet
“When how the smile, long wearied for, we read/Was kissed by him who loved like none before,/This one, who henceforth never leaves me, laid/A kiss on my mouth, trembling the while all o’er.” Dante Alighieri's Inferno, Translated by James Romanes Sibbald, Canto V, lines 130-140.
Their plight made Dante feel pity and guilt
For it was poetry that sealed their fates:
Lyric structures were by subtle minds built
Upon the lust of lofty reprobates
Lancelot lusted for fair Guinevere
Her heart, formerly Arthur’s alone, strayed;
Betrayal spiced their guilt and bashful fear
And in each other’s arms, madly, they stayed
Paolo and Francesca read of their lust
Which flew from the page into their young hearts
Uxoriousness made them both bite dust
And Dante lament poets’ errant arts
In Hell, Francesca told Dante their tale
From text to sex moved their unhappy trail
About the Creator
D. J. Reddall
I write because my time is limited and my imagination is not.
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Comments (7)
I don't know Dante very well which I am ashamed to admit but John Cox has mentioned him too and so I feel like I need to delve. I know the bareness of him but not the lyrical quality of his work. Massive influencer, I think, to use a modern day term, not meaning to belittle the great man but probably achieving that anyway.
Incredible poem, DJ! 💝
Oooo, uxoriousness! Learnt a new word there! Loved your poem!
I think you nailed the tone. The rhymes were clever as well. Great work, D.J.
Fantastic! Keep up the good work.
HA HA! Great poem, loved it!❣️
Proud to be the first to comment. Magnificent.