Mothiavelli
I’m thirsty for the fever of her kiss—
The neon sear—the lethal lick she brings.
I burn to surf the heat of her abyss.
I’ll skirt her scorch to shield my flimsy wings.
I’ve heard the zap and breathed the sooty singe
Of smitten kin who skimmed the siren light
Above the kitchen sink. It makes me cringe
To think this bright Delilah of the night
Frazzles chiffon flutters of a dream.
She withers wishes—shrivels them to dust…
But what a smile! I’m flirty in her beam—
A white-hot grin that stirs and stokes my lust,
Enough to charm then char me (just a wisp)
But not enough to fry me to a crisp.
Brody’s Ode
O iridescent brute of razor grin,
O sleek and stealthy beast of steely eye,
You out-gleam garish fish of meager fin
When cleaving through a sea as blue as sky.
O severer of summer surfer’s limb,
O spiller of the crimson cloud of life,
Your frenzied need to feed your greedy whim
Is keener than a blood-soaked butcher’s knife.
O brazen blade of sinuous prowess,
O muscular Poseidon of the deep,
Your ferric sweep and scythe are nothing less
Than grim. The tide tells me you’re ripe to reap—
So here I am to blow you up and gloat!
Behold my bigger (so much bigger) boat.
Susan Jarvis Bryant is a poet originally from the U.K., now living on the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Thanks, Susan. Great craft! Mothiavelli struck me as delightfully British in its wit and verbal play. I couldn’t help wondering whether the Machiavellian figure is the moth or the light. Brody’s Ode felt exuberantly American in its cinematic humor and bravado. The contrast made reading them together especially enjoyable.
Thank you very much, Golan. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the poems. The moth is the Machiavellian figure, but I am most intrigued by your moth-or-light take. It brings a new dimension to the poem I hadn’t anticipated… and I like it. Your British/American observation on the poems got me thinking too. It proves that I am indeed Texlish. The trouble with being Texlish is the spelling and grammar – I have reached a stage where there is no clear distinction between British and American English. It can be quite challenging (and embarrassing) at times.
Texlish! That’s hilarious, ai wasn’t familiar with this one. I wonder how many are there like you in Texas….
So with respect to who is Machiavelian, yes of course on the surface it is the moth. But who seduces whom? Who is left standing? So I think it goes both ways (somethings that I am in the habit of saying, alas 🙂
Your musings have made me smile. I believe there are a fair few Texlish souls here in Texas, but only one as wacky as me. “But who seduces whom?” – this is a question that begs to be addressed in another poem, from an unusual angle of course. Golan, thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you, Susan, for adding a new dimension to the old “moth to the flame” image in such a delightful way, the whimsy is much appreciated. Please give us more of your perspectives!
Robert, what a wonderfully encouraging comment – thank you very much indeed!
It’s not every day that you get such a plausible (and entertaining) insight into moth psychology. And I love “the crimson cloud of life”. Two gems, Susan. Thank you.
Martin, thank you very much! Slipping inside the mind of a Machiavellian moth was so much fun, I feel the urge to plumb the cerebral depths of some more mischievous mini-beasties.
One can only wonder at the creases in the mind of a person who can come up with “Mothiavelli” and then proceed to write such a charming and entertaining story. Then to cap it off with hunting a shark and talking to it from a much bigger boat is like Ahab hunting Moby Dick. Another two gems in your crown.
Roy, I just love your comment – it has made me smile. I frequently ponder the creases in my mind. When I look back at some of the poems I’ve written, I fear for my sanity. I’m thrilled you enjoyed these.
These are both amazingly clever and also hilarious, Susan! We are treated first to the (almost) kamikaze self-destructive love-life of a moth (superb title — I knew it was a Susan Bryant poem just from the title, before I ever saw the attribution or the poem itself.) I’ve always wondered why moths were attracted to flame and you’ve helped to answer that question with an unexpected love-struck explanation. I’ve known a few people who follow the same script. I also greatly appreciate reading the first-person musings of a moth. A moth who has enough common sense to not go the suicial way of his fellows.
As for your “Jaws” homage — what a hoot! I only saw “Jaws” once, back in 1975. I was only 14 and it scared the daylights out of me. What’s awesome is that you have taken this marine monster and made him the subject of an ode! Could any combination of form and subject be more perverse? “O severer of summer surfer’s limb,/O spiller of the crimson cloud of life…” Good heavens, that’s ghoulish — and wonderful.
I always love the utterly unpredictable workings of that one-of-a-kind SJB mind! Thank you for the rollicking sanguinary fun, Susan!
Brian, as ever I am so grateful for your fine eye and spot-on humor – what a great title “The Kamikaze Self-Destructive Love-Life of a Moth” would have made! And to think of some people “following the same script” as the cunning Mothiavelli – hilarious and so apt.
I am so glad you enjoyed my “Jaws” sonnet. “Perverse” is the perfect word for this outrageously ghoulish subversion of form. It’s a poem I enjoyed every minute of writing. I was nine in the summer of 75 and trembled in front of the big screen. I couldn’t swim in the deep end of the local swimming pool without my heart pounding in fear for quite some time after witnessing such a fearsome critter of the deep. I wanted to capture the essence of this film in a poem… with a wry smile, of course. I am thrilled you appreciate my works of quirk. Brian, thank you very much indeed!
Susan, I’m trying hard to zero in on what might have inspired you to write about a Moth?? & a Shark?? – but when pieces are this superb it definitely doesn’t matter. If you’re planning another book, these both need to be in it – they’re absolutely scrumptious.
Mark, thank you very much for your kind and encouraging words. I am thrilled you enjoyed the poems. I thought it was about time darling buds and mistresses’ eyes moved aside and made room for moths and sharks, so here we are – I hope Shakespeare is smiling and not rolling in his grave!
Very very funny and “this bright Delilah of the night” – perfect!!! All that glitters is not gold apparently!
James, I am so glad these tickled your funny bone, and thrilled you have mentioned my “bright Delilah of the night” – I had a Tom Jones “she stood there laughing” ear-worm when I wrote this!
First, thank you, Sweetheart, for fifteen beautiful years!
Mothiavielli… funny? Absolutely… but could the words be revealing the slick scheming that goes on behind the scenes and how laughably small those schemers are? And Brody’s Ode… also hilarious and perhaps a takedown of the haughty with their bigger boat… redemptive poetry at its best!
Thank you, Biggest Fan! What a wild and thoroughly engaging take on my poems. I will admit to seeing layers of meaning in them I hadn’t even thought of… and what a grin your observations bring with them. I will admit to thinking these sonnets were somewhat rebellious – but I’ll go with rebelliously redemptive. It has an excellent ring to it!
Susan, these are both magnificent pieces of poetic work. “Mothiavelli” is a dramatic monologue in sonnet form, with an insect as the speaker! Not even the Metaphysicals would have thought up a conceit that intriguing and irresistible. And the language is amazing: “lethal lick” and “sooty singe” for alliteration; “smitten kin” and “skimmed” for assonance; “bright Delilah” as an allusion; and the absolutely knockout line “Frazzles chiffon flutters of a dream.” That line would be worthy of Wallace Stevens! And with all of this intense Totensdanz of lust and deadly threat, you manage to close with a final couplet that is funny! Wow!
“Brody’s Ode” is a wonderful ekphrastic piece, where the poet descants on a work of art — in this case, a movie. And you deliberately break the unspoken modernist-inspired rule of never using the vocative “O” to start a line, but you do it to great effect. Here the “O” has powerful descriptive energy behind it (as it does in Shelley), and conjures up the intense visuals of the movie “Jaws,” and the harrowing fear that the shark evokes in viewers, and the hard-bitten courage that the crew must have to kill it. And this poem is a kick in the teeth to those who glibly claim that formal metrical poetry cannot deal with the modern world, or with the development of modern art forms.
Susan, like a full broadside from the HMS Lydia, you have blown the enemy out of the water.
Joe, it’s always a privilege to hear your learned take on my poetry, and I couldn’t be more thrilled at your response to these unorthodox sonnets. I am particularly pleased that you enjoyed my “Frazzles chiffon flutters of a dream” line. I really liked the musicality and the message of the line, but wasn’t sure it worked. I couldn’t be happier with your comparison, which sent me in the direction of Wallace Stevens. I was familiar with only a few of his poems and didn’t know much about the poet. What an incredible man, with such a depth to his poetry. The beauty of this comments section is that it never fails to inspire and educate me… and to send me on new and exciting journeys on the poetry pathway.
I am over the moon you enjoyed Brody’s Ode. I took a risk and I am thrilled it paid off. I like to delight and excite as I pay close attention to craft. I am always inspired by poets who love form and approach it with fresh ideas. The “O” seemed natural when elevating the shark to heights of worship before blowing him out of the water, Horatio Hornblower style! Joe, thank you very much indeed!
As others have already said, this is excellent stuff, Susan!
Cynthia, thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so pleased you enjoyed the sonnets!
Susan, if you are insane, then I wish to travel that road myself. Your poetry always tickles my fancy and I love these two creative gems. They are such fun to read, which I find myself doing over and over.
Norma, I am so pleased to hear I have a fellow traveller on the new new-normal road to the new insanity of today. This route demands joyous poetry and a smile – hard to find in current times. As always, it’s lovely to receive a comment from you – thank you very much indeed!
Susan, With “Mothiavelli,” you accomplished what I try to do in many of my poems, which is to choose a title that is so different that when one does a search using the word “poem” and then the poem’s title, the poem will be the first item found in the search. For example, I just did an internet search on “poem Mothievelli,” and your poem immediately appeared. I could provide my praise of the poem, but I think it would be more interesting to share what the “AI Overview” says about your poem:
” ‘ Mothiavelli’ is a clever, witty, and masterfully crafted poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant. It brilliantly imagines a moth as a cunning, manipulative strategist–a miniature, winged version of the infamous political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli.”
The AI Overview goes on to analyze the stanzas, state what the key lines of the poem are, and identify the website where the poem can be found.
I will squeeze in my humble opinion, which is: awesome job on both poems! Mark F. Stone
Holy Smoke — this AI Overview seems a lot more intelligent and articulate than most graduate students! Is it possible to invite him (or “it”) here to be a member?
The sad thing is, Joe, many students are using AI to assist them with their assignments to such an extent, the ability to think for oneself will soon be diminished to the point of doom.
Mark, WOW! what an encouraging comment! I fear (like a moth to a flame) I am about to get seduced by the wondrous words in the AI Overview. I feel myself drawn to its light and my head swelling to perilous proportions. I am so puffed up I could explode… but this euphoria is fleeting, thank goodness. The only words that matter to me are yours. Your “awesome job” has encouraged me and filled me with joy because I know them to be true. You are the poet who wrote ‘Why Pterodactyls Make Great Pets’ so your words hold immense weight. Thank you very much!
I also love your observation on titles. Titles really do matter, and you provide an excellent piece of advice for finding a unique and eye-catching title. Thanks again!
Mothiavelli is much more instructive than it may appear on the surface. We are all moth drawn to flames, drawn out and enticed by our own desires. Resisting the flame means resisting the pain.
I just love your words of wisdom! “Resisting the flame means resisting the pain” indeed! Even getting “charred (just a wisp)” is too much. If only I had heeded such advice in my youth! Michael, thank you very much!
The title is clever too…a self aware moth.
Thank you, Michael. I had huge fun choosing that title!
I just ducked into my office to dodge a rain shower on the farm and to treat myself to your latest poetic gems, and what a treat it is. Thank you Susan for being my favorite poet. It was your Summer Of 2020 poem which originally led me to the SCP website, and I’ve been enjoying myself here ever since. The picture at the top of every page makes the reading experience even more enjoyable, thank you Susan and editors of SCP!
What a lovely comment that couldn’t come at a better time for me. I cannot thank you enough for putting music to my poetry and singing my words so beautifully – such a joy! Yael, it’s been a privilege and an absolute pleasure to chat with you in the comments section.
A++. Summa cum laude. Not only has the author remained true to herself, but she has also broken new ground. I feel like a day-old tuna fish sandwich that has seen the ocean for the first time.
C.B., your appreciative, encouraging, and quirky comment has filled my heart with joy and made me smile… Cheshire-cat style. Thank you!
“Mothiavelli” was wonderful. I love the narrative of the personified moth who longs for the flame that kills him — wonderful metaphor! The ode is also original: not an ode of praise, but a threat (with a wonderful closing couplet with layers of meaning).
Adam, I’m over the moon you enjoyed Mothiavelli – I had huge fun writing it and when a serious poet and discerning reader enjoys it, I’m thrilled. thank you very much indeed!
Good work yet again, Susan. I took “Mothiavelli” as a kind of metaphor about how dangerous strong passion can be. Haven’t we all been scorched by that flame in our youth! It was great fun to read anyway.