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Thursday 22 January 2009

TOP prompt "Ceremonies"

Written for Totally Optional Prompts "Ceremonies"
Welcome to the snow
Slipping sliding such and such
Revolution woes

The crowd gathered in the square
Taste the anticipation

The white stuff still falls
Wetting the curious mob
Merges with their sweat

A boy sells them some stale bread
They wash it down with cheap wine

Then a bugle blows
Soldiers dismount from horses
The prisoner comes

Hail the executioner
Voluminous crescendo

Up goes the sharp blade
Down slicing the mans head off
The jeering mob cheer

The snow mixes with fresh blood
Runs between the cobblestones

Still the crowd want more
Encore encore they cry out
The bayonets are fixed

Angry soldiers face the crowd
Itching to kill the rabble

Blood demands more blood
A dog is dragged to the stage
Someone cuts its throat

The crowd don’t want to go home
Urine permeates the square

The snow turns to rain
The drenched mob are drunk on wine
The wet soldiers curse

The baker runs out of bread
A barrel of cheap wine flows

Vive la republic
Chant the disorganised mob
The soldiers attack

A La Guillotine they cry
Let them eat cake she replies

Blood and puke and puss
A ceremony of sorts
Madness gone insane
220109

17 comments:

  1. sometimes i am left wondering if we are at all far removed from this mentality,, celebrating,, or making a grand occasion out of crime and or punishment.. we might not hold live public executions,, but we inundate ourselves in such as a society thru the entertainment and media choices we make don't we??????

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  2. I'm convinced, if the right elements are in place, it would still happen today.

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  3. This ritual lies just beneath the skin, waiting to erupt in physicality. Excellent work!

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  4. Hi Jodi, It's frightening how close we come to this, sometimes.

    Hi Tony, You're right, things don't change that much.

    Hi Sue@Tumblewords, Thamks, and let's hope it stays there, under the skin!

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  5. And that's on a winters day - imagine the crowd in summer.

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  6. Hi Stan, And if they had a cup final you wouldn't have a leg to stand on!

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  7. Imagine the stench in the summer. Even Madame LaFarge might have stayed at home. That was quite the brutal piece, and worked well as the images piled into each other to make this awful mountain. Tamerlane used to pile the heads into pyramids - I think you may be on your way...

    PS: Don't understand your browser problem in getting to or commenting on my site. Wish I could be of help.

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  8. Excellent.

    I could hear the counterpoint of La Marseillaise.

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  9. Excellent capture. I think we're inching ever nearer to broadcast execution. How far will reality TV go?

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  10. Thanks Richard, I think we're getting there!
    I'll e-mail you about the other thing..

    Thanks Phil, It's still ringing in my ears!

    Hi Cam, it's only a matter of time, perish the thought.

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  11. The French Revolution! What a great idea for a ceremony!

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  12. Thanks Brenda, I enjoyed reading your Cerimonial!

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  13. Never understood why this was a "ceremony" in history
    yes, "Madness gone insane"
    Can't say I "enjoyed" this but I appreciate your writing

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  14. Okay, I'm sitting here with goosebumps, now! Scary and powerful!

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  15. Thanks Regina Marie!

    Hi Gel, the ceremony was the glorification of the revolution and the guillotine was seen as the humane way of execution although, in those days it was painted blood red!

    Hi Crafty Green, Gory in the extreme!

    Thanks Linda, I'm shivering myself!

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