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Jun 2023
SHADOWS OF OUR FORMER SELVES

April in Paris
John Donne has indigestion
pines for words from the Isle of Wight

"...whether I be
increased by a child or
diminished by the loss of a wife..."

his baby is born
dead
his wife lives

words...words
these creatures
made of ink

he begins his Anniversaries
Elizabeth Drury becomes a symbol
for the death of youth and beauty

Ben Johnson scorns
such
extreme lamentation

"If it had been written of
the ****** Mary
...it had been something!"

"...she, she is dead; she's dead:
how wan a ghost
this our world is..."

"the imputation of having said
so much
...to say as well as I could...

an Emperor is
about to be
elected

the busy old sun
rests for a moment in
an empty room

*

Being in Paris 'round about the time John Donne was ( but not the same century)and seeing these graffiti people on a wall across from Le Lapin Agile in Montmartre reminded me of his circumstances at the time and what was going on around him in his world.
Donall Dempsey
Written by
Donall Dempsey  Guildford
(Guildford)   
119
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