The July Challenge given to us by qbit is a Dark Sonnet. I must confess, I wrote one, felt a bit restless about it, so I wrote another one. I am posting both. The first one was easy for me; I am a lover of the blues and my mind went immediately to the Robert Johnson legend about meeting the devil at the crossroads to strike a deal. I post this one somewhat relectantly since my good friend Nosaintaugustine went in the same direction. Ah, well, great minds, and all that! Thanks for indulging me with 2 Dark Sonnet poems.
I. Dark Sonnet Deal
The Devil rolls some teeth like dice,
Says your bones are for the gamble —
Wants to know your wager price,
And if the payout you can handle:
He’ll use your ribs for a picket gate,
Ligaments to string a violin’s regret,
Skin to stretch the truth from here to fate,
Pluck those strings to make you forget
The crossroads that split your spleen from liver
Your memories dance dangle round his neck
Fret strings and chords, your fingers a quiver
Prove the veracity, take up his bet
Roll out the bottleneck, cavort with the blues
The Devil came away with naught but your shoes
II. Dark Sonnet Dance
The Devil rolls some teeth like dice,
Says your bones are for the gamble —
Wants to know your wager price,
And if the payout you can handle:
He’ll use your ribs for a picket gate,
Ligaments to string a violin’s regret,
Skin to stretch the truth from here to fate,
Render you a cast-off marionette
A darker shade of flame will flavor your tears
With salt of your fortune; will you hazard to know
The madness you’ll gain from this dark puppeteer
The odds of his table, a dangerous throw
Sly your fist into his chest; pluck back your spleen
The overhead cost of this game is obscene
Collaborative Poetry / J Randall Brett / Jill Lyman
