Alas, Babylon!

When the hour's late and fires low :: Remember back to long ago :: To an ancient age forever gone :: The glory of lost Babylon!

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:: Saturday, March 05, 2005 ::

Tiger Redux

Today's offering is a poem that I've recently written, submitted for your reading enjoyment. Before I hear calls of "thief!" or "plagiarist!", I should point out that the poem is a pastiche of William Blake's The Tiger. Those interested in comparing the two can read the original poem here.

Tiger Redux

In the gloaming of the night
Tiger! Tiger! Dreadful sight
Gnashing teeth and wicked claws
Virtues blessed or curséd flaws?

Run the distant deeps and skies
Beneath the stars' impassive eyes
Didst thou aspire on such wings?
Hath heaven such a fearful ring?

What the hammer? what the pain?
What the anvil? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy god?
What the staff? and what the rod?

Tiger! Tiger! Fearsome beast
Who the diner? Who the feast?
Lamb or tiger? What the choice?
What dread art, and what dread voice?

What immortal heart conspired
To forge thee on its fun'ral pyre?
What fell hand what crafted thee
With beating heart and fierce glee

Like spears thrown down from heav'n above,
Or tears wept out for dying love,
Do we, enflamed with bronzed desire,
Dare thy hellish wrath admire?

Do we dare to seize the prize
That burns within thy murdered eyes?
What dread fire do we seek
In their dark, unfathomed deeps?

In the gloaming, jungles dark
Tiger! Tiger! Leave thy mark
He who made such virtue dire
What of thee does he require?

© Robert G. McCreary 2005

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

Swedish word of the day: dikt, which means "poet"

:: posted by Rob 11:07 AM [+] ::
3 Comments:

Tiger tiger burning bright
Someone set your tail alight
Your immolation warms me right
Best you burn than feast tonight

For it was I you aimed to fress
And how I wished our paths digressed
Your deft maneuvers my flight did best
And forced harsh terror clutch my breast

And so with deep regret unhindered
My trusty matchstick had you sindered

Tasty tiger roasted right
Tonight we dine by firelight
In the end you knew the fright
That gave my chase such sheer delight

Yet now your visage gives me pause
Your singed fur mantel, charcoal claws
What tragedy to force such loss
To save a life worth half the cost

Tiger tiger bones bleached white
Forgive me that I won that night

-- O.o

By Anonymous, at 3:08 AM

Say, my wife was touching my poet last night!

-- O.o

By Anonymous, at 3:11 AM

Ewwwww, TMI! TMI!
Mmmmmm, tiger burgers...
But better not let PETA see that poem - I hear they take umbrage at the roasting of endangered species. Perhaps you'd like to give vegetarianism a try...?

Tiger Tiger furry friend
It is good to see you again
Apologies for eating you
Now you're only found in zoos

Perhaps I should have picked instead
Fruits and veggies, maybe bread
Tasty lettuce, collard greens
Couscous in a soup tureen

If I had known your fearsome might
A Vegan I'd have cooked that night
I hear they're good in oil fried
With peas and carrots on the side

Tiger Tiger smoking bones
If only I had truly known
I think that I was drunk thak night
Ah, screw it - you taste just right!

By Rob, at 8:43 AM

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