Turning from the Storm

Original Art Copyright of Arianafastier (in the public domain)

Standing in the spotlight

talking on the phone

Say more, do less -

make us feel at home

Throw them all a pound of flesh

and give the dog a bone!

All we really need from you

is a flagpole and a loan:

a blind eye to the chemicals,

the bankers and the crones.

A fall guy to oppose you,

whose sedation we condone.

Charades of Nero’s nepotism

not so far from Rome,

hanging in the balance,

our Caligula plays alone

avoiding all in ear shot

oh so inexpertly thrown,

just listen for instructions now

for when to duck and groan.

Your disciples won’t know

whether to bring prizes or postpone

it’s difficult to judge

a thing as truthful when you know

that empires rise and fall on less

than sweetly burning shared brimstone;

uncivil wars from ground unrest

(the gamblers kneeling at the throne)

chattered spite sees cold winds blow

but colder wars do not bring snow.

©️Anna Murzyn | London | 14 July 2024

Scarcely seems right to follow my meagre words with such undeniable historic poetic genius.

I will do so, however, because it was being raised on Bob Dylan amongst others, that fostered in me an early and formative love for poetry. Passionate lyrical, descriptive, poetic protest, love letters and narratives that made a deep and life-long impression on me. These songs got me listening to, reading, writing and devouring poetry in many forms.

Dylan was a singer and musician but as an artist, first and foremost, he was a poet.

This complex spiritual, theological, humanist treatise about human relationships and the dynamics of need and connection is one of his lyrical greats.

The world gets ever more vicious. We need his words now more than ever.