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Tilting At Windmills...

A broadsword swung with the might of a fool
was foiled by the slip of a rapier
The battle was lost in an engagement of wit
as egos suffered catastrophic failure

Tilting at windmills, searching for fame
his armor rusted and weak
The fool managed to recieve more pokes and slashes
gaining nothing but ridicule for his efforts

What Ho! Cried the fool, you should give up now
I have you dead to rights
The Musketeer's epee carved an L into fool's forehead
and it bled profusely

Obscure language of intolerance invoked
the two fought with vindictive disregard
Unaware that the eyes of the kingdom
were peeled and watching...

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Comments

I love the way your poem sounds.
Don Quixote was my favorite book when I was a child. I was too little to understand the allegorical sense of the novel.
You have created a powerful poem. It's bitterness hurts and aesthetics please.
thank you for posting it here.

IRiz

This was in regards to an argument I heard recently. Yes, the reference to Don Quixote is deliberate, I thought that the argument was a battle ill joined and one-sided as one was obviously out matched.
Thanks for the read and comment. ~ Geezer.
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There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
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author comment

and understand its inferences to a bar duel, perhaps even one recently. Just not sure why an "L" , which seems like it wants to symbolize something. ..

The Guinness book of world records was made by the Guinness family to be a fact checker to avoid duels called for by drunk beer drinkers in bars to defend their position of an argument, usually about who is right about the truth, the actual facts. Strangely, the year after it was published the number of incidents decreased by 50%! So facts matter! Today we have the internet backup for what is the truth about a subject. Perhaps both combatants should agree to respect "facts"

I think this poem sounded to me like it wanted to be in rhyme. Maybe because of the antique kinda language. But it does sound nice when reading with a very strong Anglican accent like Kipling or Tennyson

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

to guess, that most of my work sounds like it wants to be in rhyme. Lol That is alright by me. I am primarily a rhymer and love to tell a story; and when they are in rhyme, they are easier to remember. Oral history and all that kind of thing, you know? Not that I can remember past a few minutes ago, and certainly not any of my work! Oh, and the L stands for LOSER! You know, the sign that kids make up against their forehead?
~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

now who's been using that word a lot lately...

Not sure it's immediately understood by other readers, is there a way to explain that in the poem "poetically"? Anyway thanks for that info.
"tilting" at windmills is a very unique image. Not sure I "know" what it means, but in this case I "feel" what it means.

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

I have commented on that very thing. There are those instances where you just feel what certain lines mean. The tilting at windmills comes from "Don Quixote" the political satirical by Cervantes; the hero being the naïve, dreamy idealist who sees windmills as dragons needing to be destroyed. I know that there are a lot of people who will say that this one is politically charged and that is okay, but it was not written with politics primarily in mind. I will work on ideas to incorporate a description of the "Loser" sign. I suspect that most of this generation will not need it.Thank you for the read and comments, as always. ~ Geezer.
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There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

Its cinematic ..I saw it come to bloody life as my eyes crossed your poetic lines like a red sweaty face framed in terror ...Love to see it, don't wana be it, coward that I am.

A good write written right ;)

for the kind comments! Cinematic huh? I feel that stories are the life's blood of poetry and I always aim to tell a good story. Hoping that the reader will see the scene behind the lines, is the ultimate goal of all poets, no matter the subject. If I do that for even one person, great! ~ Geezer.
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There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

This poem depicts a battle we all dream of fighting, and I say does it well sir knight. Sometimes the fool being disregarded, has a cost. Regards Roscoe...

Roscoe Llane,

Religion will rip your faith off, and return
for the mask of disbelief that's left.

There are battles and then there are BATTLES. This one had a clear winner, he was heavily armed with intellect and needed no armor. He used his wit as an epee and ducked the sword swung with both hands by the fool. The fool was bloodied and beaten and wisely gave up before he was destroyed. It happens occasionally, that some fools get lucky and win the battle by swinging blindly, but not this time. Thanks for the read and comment. ~ Geezer.
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There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

haven't been around for a while, busy little bee with study and necessary accompaniment of partying.
This suited me rather savage mood of late though to me it cries out for more attention to meter.

I just posted a new poem with a nod to your 'Killer'.
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/poems/annarcheyes-replies

Aeron
If poetry doesn't change anything it isn't anything.

I had not paid much attention to meter this time. I was more concerned with making each stanza say what I wished in as brief manner as possible. I'll look at maybe making some changes later.
I went to look at your poem and found it very intriguing. Thank you for the nod to Killer! Very interesting method of cannibalism! Making someone eat their own body parts is something that never has occurred to me. [Or Killer] You need time for something like that, and Killer doesn't usually have that luxury. You bring some great visuals to this and I will be looking at the rest of your stuff with fresh eyes.
~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

I had not paid much attention to meter this time. I was more concerned with making each stanza say what I wished in as brief manner as possible. I'll look at maybe making some changes later.
I went to look at your poem and found it very intriguing. Thank you for the nod to Killer! Very interesting method of cannibalism! Making someone eat their own body parts is something that never has occurred to me. [Or Killer] You need time for something like that, and Killer doesn't usually have that luxury. You bring some great visuals to this and I will be looking at the rest of your stuff with fresh eyes.
~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

author comment

the young girl
won it

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