The Impresario (part twenty-five)

Posted by ractrose on 21 Jan 2020 in Art, Poems

      The Impresario Part Twenty-Five   Three long blasts and a short to summon The captain of the Bishop’s horse The foot-guard lustily bash heads Gaspard’s men eagerly make arrest For every fine collected is a feather for their nest Tortu’s sturdy back unaided must draw the sledge The wax-man’s mass umbrellaed ’Neath […]

Republicans’ Last Chance (opinion)

Posted by ractrose on 20 Jan 2020 in Nonfiction

Republicans’ Last Chance Or, advice from an observer                           As to politics, I believe in doing what works and not doing what doesn’t work. Human society has never been able to figure out why this principle is so difficult, rather than so easy, […]

My Blog Week: January 12 to January 18

Posted by ractrose on 19 Jan 2020 in The Latest

All the Latest from Torsade!                             A Word on the Week   To Ask the Question         Tomorrow, best of luck and safety to the people of Richmond, Virginia. The planned rally suggests a wish to instill fear in […]

Mince No Words: Seventh Battle Stations

Posted by ractrose on 17 Jan 2020 in Art, Poems

      The Folly Battle Stations         Mince No Words   Business is to be got to…Trout, though he’d offered pretext Possesses so little of personal quality While a monocled eye, unsuffering of fools, peers so expectant The host shrugs away his first, introductory amblings Though ahead he forages as much […]

Frédéric Boutet: A Reputation (part one)

Frédéric Boutet A Few Blackmails A Reputation (part one)                             “Monsieur, a gentleman has come on the part of the Philanthropic Society of Paris.” “Well, let him in,” said M. Blestat. He folded his newspaper, shook his cigar ash into the fire, […]

Male and Female (poem)

Posted by ractrose on 15 Jan 2020 in Art, Poems

      Male and Female   You might be nothing much a hatchback human utilitarian, cute thing a nice or not nice who says I’m not named with a name without a hope for yourself the profile of a popular young’un a ranch hand from a feet up, TV on waiting out the ninth […]

The Impresario (part twenty-four)

Posted by ractrose on 14 Jan 2020 in Art, Poems

    The Impresario Part Twenty-Four   Behind leathern masks are the fighters’ faces hid To make livelier sport for the pleasure of the mob For to lose the sight of an eye, or have a nose cut off Cuts short the combat, those on tiptoes at the back Do not strain themselves to witness […]

Fight Me (poem)

Posted by ractrose on 13 Jan 2020 in Art, Poems

      Fight Me   “Fight me,” says Mr. Boots. He smiles upside down, beaming, chin above whisker pads At the yellow goldfish whose mouth Expresses opening and closing, pushing in and out, no more She cannot answer to his mocking Nor can he mock her as he’d like But matches every parting of […]

My Blog Week: January 5 to January 11

Posted by ractrose on 12 Jan 2020 in The Latest

All the Latest from Torsade!                             A Word on the Week   Precipitate         A point of convergence in two of the big stories of the week… Let’s go back to 1997, not to rehash much of the unhappy […]

The Totem-Maker: Use for Use (part five)

Posted by ractrose on 10 Jan 2020 in Fiction, Novels

The Totem-Maker Chapter Six Use for Use (part five)             I slept a first night with them in my house…slept to excess, the honey drink to blame. Sorry for my hurting arm, and for myself altogether, I’d swallowed two or three strong draughts. That day I woke not having dreamed […]