This challenge comes from New York poet Joe Tessitore. He asks you to use the following couplet in a poem. Post your version in the comments section below:
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How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
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Margaret, thank you! I appreciate how detailed your reading is (and that you picked up on the cor ad cor…
Thank you Paul!
D.R., thank you for reading! I love that image as well, the phrase used for sleep in the Genesis passage…
Thank you for the kind words!
Jeff, this is one of those perfectly attuned poems comparing the seemingly far off tides with life.
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
Sadly, in truth “I do not care”
About a child’s whimpered cries
To be honest and very fair
It’s not my problem, their despair
I only came to look the part,
First Lady perched atop jet stair
I wasn’t like this at the start
Better or worse, I did my part
Married power and married might
But now I’m stuck with that old fart
So here I am, never contrite
You marvel at my awesome height
I get to live in house of White
I get to live in house of White
The tyranny of fear and lies
Glows strong in “President” biden’s beady, shady eyes!!
WHO wins a job, hiding in their basement, while allies scheme
Skulks out when ordered and lies, promising a “better” American dream!
Voters never mattered- China machines and corrupt electoral twits and more
Stopped the count-seeing another hillary slaughter like the election before
If they pulled it off once- trust me they are scheming again
Wake up America or you’ll vote in Tyranny and lies biden to win
The colors of America, are NOT black and white-
They are red, white and blue
I voted the last time- for the Right
I suggest you do too…
Or, when the darkness covers America’s skies
You’ll be looking into the face of Tyranny and lies!
And just to be clear… as you have seen-
Tyranny doesn’t just lie-they do it with a smile and are effing MEAN!
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
Bedroom eyes
Beneath my thighs
Leaves me fearfully guessing even the wisest guy
He hides his lies
The tyranny of fear and lies
I so despise
Beautiful!
How very much do I despise
the tyranny of herein lies,
for who knows who may be in there?
Perhaps it may be even bare
of aught but emptiness inside
as all was lost on Styx’s tide?
Or even just one bone alone,
(so prone to be from the unknown),
which well may not be bona fide
if someone callous all elide
and failed to tell us all he lied
about the pride of one who died?
Or just a plaster boney clone?
(Or even worse a coney blown),
which would, one surely must surmise
be very hard to recognise
and impinge on the field of doubt
if one herein, put in, got out
and went upon their merry way
thus leaving me be Mused today.
How very much do I despise
the Tyranny of fear and lies
that aliens inside devise
to hide subvert and demonise
our tribal laws, erase mores
to cause divide as law decays.
To isolate so souls alone
can then be cowed to then condone,
so people’s tribes refuse to fight
reduction to the catamite,
to then destroy the female role
and kill the very tribal soul.
We must discern to learn the guile
of evil cesspit hebephiles.
How wary must two eyes devise
the villainy of beer and pies.
The smash of glass, the raucous shout,
a warning roar of louts about.
The thumping feet, the violent bang,
the sirens shrieking at the gang,
the shouts and shrieks now so obscene
as they then try to flee the scene.
The cause of all this vile discourse?
False courage from tomato sauce.
Undoubtedly tomato sauce
which turns the fine into the coarse
and makes our peaceful folk resent
the aftermath of sports events.
Which adds a gloss unto the dross,
and will emboss a total loss.
That horrid brutish condiment
that will divorce the best intent.
That all sports innocents dements.
Will unadvise unwise dissents.
We must be prepared to source
a label for tomato sauce,
to save our babes from new remorse
and wasteful chores for our law force.
Wonderful!
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
Not much; I’ve gotten used to it,
This Soviet-style life surfeit.
I just don’t buy the Party line
So I, too, lie, and it’s all fine.
To tyrants of falsehood and fear
I tell the things they want to hear.
They warned that I had to espouse
Their falsehoods or they’d burn my house,
They’d poison Max, my wealth preempt,
Protract a lawsuit for contempt
Because wrongthink’s a major crime,
But that’s how things are in our time.
Sheesh, that was amateurish. Maybe this one’s a little better:
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
To despots of falsehood and fear
I say what they demand to hear,
I parrot back the Party line.
I hate it, but I have no spine.
Despairing if I don’t espouse
Their falsehoods, they will take my house,
Imperil job, or wealth preempt,
Protract a lawsuit for contempt.
Oh, would I’d illustrate the courage
To stand up to dogmatic scourge!
So very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies!
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
Not much, when I again surmise
The father of them finally dies
The place is hot where satan goes
A chasm keeps the lies with those
Away from us who get to stay
In heaven where the Truth holds sway
How very much do I despise
The tyranny of fear and lies?
That schism in humanity
embedded in our history.
Introduced in aeons gone by
by those that seek to take our lives.
Fought in hidden realms few can see
attacks on minds relentlessly.
Closing hearts so we suffocate
turn on each other lost to hate.
But those false kings of tyranny
dont understand their enemy.
Our secret weapon our soul song
shining light truths on all that’s wrong.
For we’re more powerful you see
standing in love now consciously.
Thwarting their quest for our genome,
as we all make our way back home.
How Very Much do I Despise the Tyranny of Fear and Lies
My disapproval of them sparks my action
And fully speeds me on, with total traction
I must protect my mind from lies
From phony Newspeak, I despise
A while ago, I shed the television
Without a hint of indecision
I cast it far into the legendary Lake
And those twelve years have given me a break
So that’s how much that I despise
Their spewing fear and filthy lies!