Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
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- Posts: 2688
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
v2:
Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
As Oscar wandered the streets
of Paris, he sought only
company to converse with,
to talk about anything
but memories of prison
where at night a blanket
rough as whiskers
had been his only comfort.
Yet it wasn't regrets
that had kept him awake.
It was the hard planks.
More hurtful now
were old, dear friends
who would cross the street
to avoid him.
Had he survived hell
for a room in the Hotel d'Alsace?
Its loneliness was as debilitating
as prison’s silence,
where he hadn’t been allowed to speak,
even in the yard.
Without Bosie,
confronting the world these days
left him feeling empty.
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather dissolve
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in the horrid
wallpaper of room 16?
Carriages rattled by
on their way to the theatre.
But his dingy room
with its one bottle of wine
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
and Oscar no longer had the fire
in him for new dramas,
his once formidable heart
weak as ash.
v1:
Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
As Oscar wandered the streets
of Paris, he sought only
company to converse with,
to talk about anything
but memories of prison
where at night a blanket
rough as whiskers
had been his only comfort.
Yet it wasn't regrets
that had kept him awake.
It was the hard planks.
More hurtful now
were old, dear friends
who would cross the street
to avoid him.
Had he survived hell
for a room in the Hotel d'Alsace?
Its loneliness was as debilitating
as prison’s silence,
where he hadn’t been allowed to speak,
even in the yard.
Without Bosie,
confronting the world these days
left him feeling empty.
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather disappear
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in room 16’s
horrid wallpaper?
Carriages rattled by
on their way to the theatre.
But his dingy room
with its one bottle of wine
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
and Oscar no longer had the fire
in him for new dramas,
his once formidable heart
weak as ash.
Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
As Oscar wandered the streets
of Paris, he sought only
company to converse with,
to talk about anything
but memories of prison
where at night a blanket
rough as whiskers
had been his only comfort.
Yet it wasn't regrets
that had kept him awake.
It was the hard planks.
More hurtful now
were old, dear friends
who would cross the street
to avoid him.
Had he survived hell
for a room in the Hotel d'Alsace?
Its loneliness was as debilitating
as prison’s silence,
where he hadn’t been allowed to speak,
even in the yard.
Without Bosie,
confronting the world these days
left him feeling empty.
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather dissolve
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in the horrid
wallpaper of room 16?
Carriages rattled by
on their way to the theatre.
But his dingy room
with its one bottle of wine
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
and Oscar no longer had the fire
in him for new dramas,
his once formidable heart
weak as ash.
v1:
Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
As Oscar wandered the streets
of Paris, he sought only
company to converse with,
to talk about anything
but memories of prison
where at night a blanket
rough as whiskers
had been his only comfort.
Yet it wasn't regrets
that had kept him awake.
It was the hard planks.
More hurtful now
were old, dear friends
who would cross the street
to avoid him.
Had he survived hell
for a room in the Hotel d'Alsace?
Its loneliness was as debilitating
as prison’s silence,
where he hadn’t been allowed to speak,
even in the yard.
Without Bosie,
confronting the world these days
left him feeling empty.
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather disappear
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in room 16’s
horrid wallpaper?
Carriages rattled by
on their way to the theatre.
But his dingy room
with its one bottle of wine
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
and Oscar no longer had the fire
in him for new dramas,
his once formidable heart
weak as ash.
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- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
with its one bottle of wine
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
Strongest stanza for me. Captures his isolation. Solid poem in a genre you do so well
on a small, wobbly table
offered no lobby for patrons,
Strongest stanza for me. Captures his isolation. Solid poem in a genre you do so well
-
- Posts: 2688
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Thanks, Ken. It's great to see you commenting. I'm looking forward to your poems!
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- Posts: 1619
- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Bob, I confess I had to read Wikipedia after this....
I've not written anything in a couple of months
I've not written anything in a couple of months
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- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Time to start. You are one of the most talented poets I know...
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- Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
You need to get out more then
.
.
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Yes, this is your domain. I've never read another poet her does this so well. I like the way the last stanza pull me in more intimately. It's all good.
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Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Thanks, Billy
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- Joined: 18 Apr 2005, 04:57
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Hi Bob,
We rendez-vous with the subject at poem's start;
therefore consider streaming title to:
"In the Hotel d'Alsace"
or (upon hearing echoes of The Eagles)
"Welcome to the Hotel d'Alsace"
Workshop look at these 2 stanzas
"He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather disappear
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in room 16’s
horrid wallpaper?"
as
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather dissolve (or evaporate)
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in the horrid
wallpaper of room 16?
Afterall, Wilde was like a literary rock star in a Victorian society -
Welcome to the room, Oscar Wilde
Michael (MV)
We rendez-vous with the subject at poem's start;
therefore consider streaming title to:
"In the Hotel d'Alsace"
or (upon hearing echoes of The Eagles)
"Welcome to the Hotel d'Alsace"
Workshop look at these 2 stanzas
"He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather disappear
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in room 16’s
horrid wallpaper?"
as
He was an ink well gone dry.
He would rather dissolve (or evaporate)
into drink.
Where was his future
to be found, in the horrid
wallpaper of room 16?
Afterall, Wilde was like a literary rock star in a Victorian society -
Welcome to the room, Oscar Wilde
Michael (MV)
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- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Thx, Michael, for the ideas. I’ll think about them. Best, Bob
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Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Bob
Learned much from Michael's workshop.
Siva
Learned much from Michael's workshop.
Siva
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- Posts: 2688
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: Oscar Wilde in the Hotel d'Alsace
Thanks, Michael. I have taken up your suggestions.