Cathedral Conflagration Clues

Tags

poetry, poem, sonnet, Formal poetry, Australian poet, Spenserian sonnet, Petrarchan sonnet, Notre-Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame de Paris Fire, Government cover-ups

Cathedral Conflagration Clues

𝟏:

Within a day we know what was the cause
Of this disaster — what efficiency!
Unscathed by revolution and world wars;
But now an accident, and all agree
It was, and yet it seems quite strange to me
That this could happen — were there not strict rules,
And drills, extinguishers? I just can’t see,
Despite this being France, how could some fools,
Some workers start a fire (or two?). It fuels
The arson theory to exclude it — to
Lay blame on renovators or their tools
Without investigation. Facts are few,
Misinformation plentiful — was it
By spark, a rag that smouldered, or match lit?

𝟐:

Although they say it was an accident.
Why did the fire breakout at Easter time?
Could it have been, in fact, an arson crime?
Why did a vacillating government,
With obscene haste declare that this event,
This tragedy, loss of a jewel sublime,
A symbol of the Christian Paradigm,
Was accidental — no evil intent
Was found. (When nothing’s looked for nothing’s found).
They had not searched amongst the cooling ash.
Forensic tests? — no, they had not been done.
The charred remains still cloaked the sacred ground,
And that was for the better — no backlash
Is likely…….. if there is no smoking gun.

— D.N. O’Brien

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A Cashless Economy

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Australian Federal Election 2019, Australian Labor Party, Australian poet, Formal poetry, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

A Cashless Economy

Labor is the way to Venezuela;
For socialism is their stock in trade.
Pink or red — one’s just a little paler;
Don’t let them in — you’ll see your freedoms fade.
They’ve been in power before and how we paid
For their mismanagement — the crippling debt,
The mess these mad misguided wreckers made.
They say they’ll pay you not to work? Don’t bet
Your life on it — those workers who now sweat
And earn to pay your way will lose their jobs,
And then the vote you cast you may regret.
Somebody has to make what Labor robs,
Or one day they will go to raid their stash,
And find that they have run right out of cash.

— D.N. O’Brien

The Other’s Ways

Tags

Australian poet, Australian traditional poetry, Formal poetry, poem, poetry, Revisionist Historians, Spenserian sonnet, The Other

The Other’s Ways

It’s clear to us that human nature’s changed;
No longer need we fear The Other’s ways.
What came before must now be rearranged
Until it all conforms — our view obeys.
And those few who will not believe — the nays,
They must in institutions be confined,
Until such time as they have joined the yeas —
Until each sick reactionary mind
Agrees with the new system we’ve designed.
The Other’s ways must be approved by all,
And to The Other’s faults all must be blind,
While our old ways must be allowed to fall.
So from The Other we will learn what’s true,
And so reject the teachings of a Jew.

— D.N. O’Brien

A Sonnet for ScoMo

Tags

Australian Federal Election, Australian poet, Bill Shorten Labor Leader, Billycan, Clancy of the Overflow, Formal poetry, poem, poetry, ScoMo, Scott Morrison, Scott Morrison Prime Minister of Australia, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

A Sonnet for ScoMo

G’day mate, I’m Scott Morrison ya know!
I’m as fair dinkum as a wallaby!
Like good ol’ Clancy of the Overflow,
I’ll boil ya up a billycan of tea!
I’ve lots of stuff that you can have for free!
Although I do admit I can’t match Bill
The Labor leader’s generosity;
But I’m not raisin’ taxes like that dill!
Him and his cobbers they’ll just raid the till!
No! True blue blokes like me don’t tell no lies!
So don’t go suckin’ on that Labor swill!
I’ll swat those mongrels as if they were flies!
So don’t forget, vote Liberal Party mate!
I’m ScoMo, and I’ll make Australia great!

— D.N. O’Brien

Google “Equity” — Equality of Outcome

Tags

Australian poet, Equity — equality of outcome, Formal poetry, Google diversity training, poem, poetry, Political Correctness, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

Google “Equity” — Equality of Outcome

You surely must have heard of “equity”,
For it’s the latest catchcry of “The Woke”.
It’s part of Google’s mad diversity
Instructions — they are serious, no joke.
Perhaps they’ve just been snorting too much coke.
How else could they come up with such bullshit?
It really isn’t difficult to poke
Large holes in Google’s brain-washing, to wit:
Science tells us I.Q.s vary — read the lit!
You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear!
If you think otherwise then you’re a twit —
You’ll get a job at Google — never fear,
For they think everyone has the same brain.
Hey Google! I suggest you search “insane”!

— D.N. O’Brien

Fairies at the Bottom of the World

Tags

Australian poet, Formal poetry, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet, Trump cuts red and green tape, U.S. oil production, U.S. to become net exporter of oil

Fairies at the Bottom of the World

The yanks will soon be exporting their oil,
For they’ve a leader, and his name is Trump.
He brings each Democrat’s blood to the boil,
By putting Yankee oil in every sump.
The media, on his head take a dump,
For cutting all the tape that’s red and green.
But night and day the wells are drilled, and pump
Black gold — more than the country’s ever seen.
But in Australia we think that it’s mean
To extract gas and oil; we leave it there,
And worship energy that’s bright and clean.
We’re virtuous, and for the Earth we care —
“No oil or gas or coal!” we loudly sing,
“It’s wind and sunshine we’ll be exporting!”

— D.N. O’Brien

U.S. to become oil exporter

Manifesto

Tags

Anarchists, Australian poet, Brenton Tarrant, Brenton Tarrant manifesto, New Zealand mosque shooting, Nihilism, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

Manifesto

What manifesto? I have searched in vain
To find it on the net — it’s disappeared!
Those writings are a window to his brain.
I wish to peer through it, see what he feared,
His twisted thoughts. I have to say it’s weird
That it has gone — extracts are all I read.
Apparently the document appeared
Just briefly, then was scrubbed. it was agreed,
By whom I’ve no idea, there was no need
For common peaceful folk to read such stuff:
How evil grew, from what pernicious seed.
No, those extracts we’re told are quite enough.
His manifesto must remain suppressed;
And after all, our guardians know best.

— D.N. O’Brien

Forest

Tags

Arboretum, Australian babblers, Australian honey-eaters, Australian poet, Azure Kingfisher, Bicheno finch, Brush Box Tree, Bunya Pine, Crested dove, Double-bar finch, Formal poetry, Gum trees, Illawarra flame tree, kookaburra, Owl-faced finch, poem, poetry, Silky Oak, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet, Spotted Gum, tea tree

Forest

Around my arboretum take a tour:
A Bunya Pine where owl-faced finches nest —
They buzz and beep. A flash as an azure
Kingfisher dives. A dusky dove with crest
And wings displayed puffs out his dappled chest,
There with his mate high in a silky oak.
Two kookaburras in a tall gum rest;
They chuckle quietly at a private joke.
Amongst the fallen leaves grey babblers poke
And prod the ground for insects. Lipstick-red,
Each flame tree wears its brilliant fiery cloak.
By spotted gum, tea tree and box we tread,
And marvel at the life the forest brings.
High overhead, a honeyeater sings.

— D.N. O’Brien

{Photo – D.N. O’Brien}

Condemned

Tags

Australian poet, Cardinal George Pell, Catholic Church sex scandals, George Pell found guilty, poem, poetry, Scapegoats, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐝

Well here you are — you really should have known
That they were bound to get you in the end.
They’re like a dog that’s gnawing at a bone
And won’t let go — and you — you wouldn’t mend
Your ways. You made it clear you wouldn’t bend;
You wouldn’t cave in to the crazy crowd.
It’s true you managed for some time to fend
Them off — held your head high; you never bowed
To them or their false claims. No doubt your proud
Defiant stance just made them hate you more.
But souls so quiet are drowned out by the loud,
So: “Guilty!” said the twelve, and it’s the law,
That guilty men must suffer for their sins.
Condemned — it’s only now your trial begins.

— D.N. O’Brien

Wishing Well for Cardinal Pell

Tags

Australian poet, Cardinal George Pell, poem, poetry, sonnet, Spenserian sonnet

Wishing Well for Cardinal Pell

He had the cheek to question climate change!
Opposed the vote to let same sexes wed!
Conservative! Damn! For a priest that’s strange;
The Pope himself is several shades of red.
He wasn’t keen on Pell, or so it’s said.
Perhaps he’s happy Pell is in the can,
And sleeping on a rock-hard prison bed.
One victim’s claims enough to sink the man;
But after all the crap the papers ran,
What jury would have let the guy walk free?
There’s nothing like a sex scandal to fan
The flames — appeals? We’ll have to wait and see.
But I don’t like his chances — I confess,
Each day I value “justice” less and less.

— D.N. O’Brien

Pell found guilty