STONE-HEADED Options

[Alan]

STONE-HEADED

Consider the thoughts of a truly great man,
one who rules by fiat, as only he can,
over millions of serfs, or slaves, or some such,
and knows, of himself there just can’t be too much.

His people love him , absolutely no doubt;
without him to guide, they’d be lost, no way out.
He wins elections, ninety-nine plus percent;
goodness, another ? Wonder where the time went ?

Soon, earth-bound, flesh-weak mortality awaits;
he won’t deign to be listed amongst the “lates” :
strong stone and wrought steel must bend to his command,
he will always gaze down upon his rapt land.

From such heights his grandness is given its due,
he’ll ever be worshipped by me, and you too,
in ages-old rock, and the toughest of steel,
not ephemeral flesh; now solid, quite real.

When in time the flesh goes its pre-ordained way
he will have his answer, forever he’ll stay;
forgotten, Ozymandias, his forebear,
face-down in the sands, trunkless : who, what, when , where ?

Alan McAlpine Douglas

[Larry]

Hi Alan,

What a fitting tribute to Shelly, his (very strange) sonnet and to that "wanna-be" Ozymandias pretender Mubarak. I hope I read this right and caught the underlying caustic sarcasm with a heck of a very tongue in cheek jab.

I, at first, didn't recognize the metrical imitation of Shelly's poem until I got to the last stanza.

Wouldn't dare to nit or pick.

Masterful,

Larry

[Alan]

Dear Larry,

Well now, this is fascinating ! IF I was imitating Shelley metrically, it was sub-conscious ! And the target was much wider than Mubarek, (don't even know he had any massive statues), it was all these stone-heads who think their people want them solidified in steel and stone, Saddam, Hoxha, Stalin, Lenin, various other ex-USSR heads of state, Kim Il Jung, and Marcos, whose pic adorns the poem !

But yes, of course you "caught the underlying caustic sarcasm with a heck of a very tongue in cheek jab", and I thank you for defining it so precisely ! Altogether, thank you so much for your wonderfully poet's-ego-enhancing response !

Love
Alan

[Larry]

Hi Alan,

I thought your satire was more pointed in one particular direction due to your L19 line:

forgotten, Ozymandias, his forebear,

Seeing as how Ozymandias was merely a language variant of Ramesses the Great, King of Egypt - It was a transliteration by the Greeks, and Mubarek must think of himself in that way, that's where my thoughts went. The first part of your last line is what I feel many Egyptians wish for him; "beheaded, face down in the sand".

You would never believe it but at first glance your inserted image looked like a time-worn and degraded image of Elvis (who often played at the Sands). He was often called "Elvis - The King". Of course, this misconception ended after the end of the second stanza when the realization hit me between the eyes that this was not an ode but a well thought out acerbic eulogy. What I didn't realize was its widespread condemnation of all the would-be dictatorial SOB's in this world.

Again, well done and even though it is not in Sonnet form as Shelly's best short poem was, it is none the less Well Said.


Larry

[Alan]

Dear Larry,

My goodness, the ripples widen. I did not know about Rameses/Ozy, and I'm amused at the Elvis comparison. This sort of rant by me is reserved for the overweening and untalented, so Elvis would not qualify !

I'm also quite amused by my pic being of a somewhat empty-headed tyrant !

Love
Alan

[JLY]

Alan,
In recent times we have seen that flesh and blood leaders do not last forever, even though they believe it is their right to rule forever. The masses always have the ability to bring down the tyrants, sometimes it can be peaceful and sometimes results in bloodshed.
I immediately thought you were alluding to the change of power in Egypt, but as Larry has shown with his eruidte analysis that there is so much more here.
Whether Shelley was your inspiration or not, you have certainly offered a form that flows very smoothly with a rhythm that accentuates the messages you are bringing to the forefront.
JLY

[Alan]

Dear John,

Thank you very much for your appreciation - it in turn is appreciated !

I think I always meant to ref Ozy at the end, but that I was directly influenced by the meter etc I rather doubt.

Love
Alan