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Squib: Max Gutmann, 'Pointedly'
Seurat completely placed his trust in pointillism, never fussed with other styles, for they’d have just been pointless. ***** For me this falls right on the border of the category I call ‘Unforgettable Nonsense’ verse – typically short, with puns or other jokes… But this isn’t strictly speaking nonsense… Yet the use of rhyme and rhythm with the wordplay makes it super easy to memorise, which is…
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Using form: dactyls: Max Gutmann, 'Junípero Serra'
Critics of Father Junípero Serra Maintain that the priest was a murderous churl, Killing American natives religiously. (“Serra,” too, sounds like the name of a girl.) Minor official in Spain’s Inquisition, he Saw many heretics tortured and burned. Some people frowned on such zealous conversion modes. Serra took copious notes. And he learned. Later, his ministry in the Americas Opened a chain of…
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Max Gutmann, 'The Princess and the Pea'
Once a devious queen lodged just one tiny pea Under twenty soft mattresses, wanting to see Out of many young princesses which was the one Who deserved to be matched with the prince, her fine son. For she knew a true princess was dainty and fine, And that little legume underneath the frail spine Would prevent her enjoying the tiniest rest, And by this all would know she had passed the queen’s…
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Max Gutmann: Planet of Love
Venus, our neighbor that lies toward the sun, Is a sultry and amorous spot; The astrologers tell us our passion and fun Are engendered right there, where it’s hot. She’s the brightest of stars yet she’s hidden in cloud, So her pull on our psyches is double, An enticing enigma concealed in her shroud And, like all such allurements, big trouble. To the faithfully married, the word from…
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Max Gutmann, 'Spring Villanelle'
Sandro Botticelli. (Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi) 1444-1510.Florence. La Naissance de V?nus. Florence. Le Printemps. 1480. Florence. Mus?e des Offices. Plants flower, swallows sing, and bunnies boff. All nature gleams with joy. But time’s a sprinter. When spring arrives, can winter be far off? Take care. The festive glass from which you quaff– at least half empty–soon will freeze and…
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Max Gutmann, 'Villaintine's Day'
It’s horrible and rather stupid To hold each year a day for Cupid Whose claim to fame is shooting folks, Aggression none of them provokes. Is this behavior to condone? We have no day for Al Capone. No holidays are lavished on John Dillinger or Genghis Khan. We don’t exalt the memories Of vicious monsters such as these. Would we have changed our attitude If they had been in flight and…
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Using form: Ottava Rima: Max Gutmann, 'Conscious Agents' (from Don Juan Finish'd)
You sages aren’t surpris’d to learn that cowardice Is courage. Truths illumine and conceal. The dulcet affirmation and the sour diss Can equally be true. That’s no big deal. The world is full of paradox — and now word is That even space and time may not be real. We only think we see and smell and touch things. The “world” is like, say, Donkey Kong and such things. It’s all just icons on an…
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Max Gutmann, "Ozymandias" Meets "Casey at the Bat"
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Sandville One that day. The boundless, barren, lone, and level sands stretched far away. The traveler who’d tell the tale now gazed on it alone. A king’s cracked visage lay beside vast, trunkless legs of stone. His name was Ozymandias, a name of great renown; Upon his monumental visage glared a potent frown; A wrinkle curled his lip; he wore a sneer of cold…
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