David Selzer is a writer of poetry, prose fiction, screenplays and stage plays. He embraces digital platforms to share his work of more than fifty years… READ MORE


  • THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

    The left, centre and right panels of the tryptch, ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’, by Hieronymous Bosch circa 1510

     

    Paradise flocks. Christ is blessing Adam, Eve

    and, looking our way, us. We know, we

    know – but a dirty trick to make evil

    interesting! Lords and ladies teem: nude

    armies on sensual manoeuvres.

    In the nightmare, penis becomes knife, vulva

    a cracked, open egg on tree-like legs –

    and a man, elbow on the cut-away edge,

    is unmoved. Hells’ punishments become our

    crimes: towns burn; refugees drown; a man

    is crucified in a harp. Hell’s commandants

    play sonatas – and someone watches

    and is indifferent.

     

     

     


    2 responses to “THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS”


    1. John Chapman Avatar
      John Chapman

      A Monty Pythonesque view of what is now 40% of the Internet. Nothing basically changes it seems, only the way it is depicted.

    2. Gilbert A. Franke Avatar

      David, your verse provides a visual magnifying glass for the tryptch! Not quite a microscope, but certainly a more detailed view! Thanks!

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