Friday, August 20, 2010

Bullfighting


My reign in Spain lies mainly in the pain
of a manly beast: subdued by dandy men,
his shoulders stabbed while still within his pen,
infused with drugs that flow within his brain.
My theater, no sport so inhumane:
a foppish cape flung round and round again,
a dance macabre of man and bull and then
cheered on by crowds 'til weakened beast is slain.

Poetic justice steals my drama's end
when bull presumes to improvise his part
in man v. beast, and my faux dance is spurned:
The costumed fighters cannot apprehend
the maddened bull with pick and drug-filled dart ...
and then the tables turn and pain's returned.



placed in Poets United Think Tank #11

Refs:
1. Bull escapes ring and charges into stands
2. Bull gores matador through the neck and throat




10 comments:

  1. An interesting take on the prompt! Wonderfully crafted! =)

    -Weasel

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  2. Bullfights sadden me. My favorite childhood book "Ferdinand" was just reissued. Ferdinand is a gentle bull. It's a great story. thank you for giving voice to the animals.

    They use blankets around horses so audiences won't witness a goring. It is barbaric.
    ~Brenda

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  3. Your first line was pulled me in....great take on the prompt! :-)

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  4. very interesting... great twist on the prompt... really enjoyed it!

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  5. superb beginning... and yes the rest too !

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  6. Oh, bullfighting makes me feel sad too. Your poem captured the sadness AND pain. Well done.

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  7. I had absolutely no idea what a bull fight was until I was in Mazatlan, Mexico, and then I was horrified to see those bulls bleeding to death.

    Great take on the prompt. I can sure identify.

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  8. Funny enough, it was only a couple of years ago that I discovered Bullfighting, involved stabbing the animal to death. I'm no PETA zealot, but, even me (a fan of the burger), myself, find this a bit brash, and cruel. Fabulous poem mate. Cheers.

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  9. Well done; I love how you expressed the wounds of beast and man!

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