(Never ending house of mirrors)

In a dark dark forest
from the university throne he says:
“Of course you may not have heard of my favorite piece 
‘8 songs for a Mad King’”
He  confidently stated
  During the interview 
    5 Years before 
     Wielding his temporary powers 
Deleting positions
      After the vote of support 
from the tenure committee 
       colleagues, collaborators
Exiled, Released 
Home again

5 years hence 
  Silent I stood,
    A quiescent desire bubbling, 
having conducted those 8 songs
    Years before,
Details he would not
    Embrace unfurled.
His will a rod of iron, 
a failed physicist
Anointed so briefly with 
    Life altering powers

“Never have so many 
   fought so hard 
       for so little “ 
the old saw goes
   tall trees felled for firewood 

Slipped the mortal coil
  2 years later, 
honored with 
    a shoddy performance 
   of an obscure 
Peter Maxwell Davies piece 
   under attended concert 
     little known 
Dallas Texas chamber ensemble 

“Black vice, intolerable vileness
In lanes, by ricks, at Courts. 
It is night on the world
Even I your King has contemplated evil

I shall rule with a rod of iron, comfort ye my people” R. Stow

The anti democracy of tyranny 
     just slightly 
  appeased
in the divine benevolence 
     of Death

“So sorry for your loss”
I mouthed to the widow
in my mind, in my story
with actions or gestures 
performed with 
goodwill and kindness
Imaginary years later
 
A giant red rubber ball, 
bouncing slowly away
from us 
down into the abyss 

Scot Gresham-Lancaster

Brunswick, ME Nov. 19, 2023

◯◦ ◦◯⃝⃝ ⃝ ◌◌⃝ ⃝ ◌⃝ ◌⃝ ◯○ ◦◌