Homer boasts the bloody Deeds of Achilles
Thus much Excusing which Might Please;
Nought can Deform a Human Face
Like to His Armours brazen Brace.
—William Blake (attrib.)
Famed for my oxtail stews and bouillabaisse,
I plucked octopodes from their proper place,
Beneath the sea,
And now in the Court of Last Resort face
Life, ordained my penalty to be.
I never knew a hunt was judged a crime,
But was humbled, doing time
As lightly as one may upon our Earth
Indebting guilt to mortgage doubtful dearth.
My hope's one day to be paroled
—For what that's worth!—
Before I get too bloody, beastly old.
With gratitude to Henry Handel (Ethel Florence Lindesay) Richardson for the use of her title.
December 11, 2024
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