Madame Caillaux, Part 7 0f 7

(In late June, 1914, Austria declared war
on Serbia, thus initiating the First World War.
In Paris, this was ignored, because Henriette
Callaux had been found Not Guilty.  De
minimis non curat lex = "the law does not
extend to trivialities".  Proust, in his novels,
wrote about his romantic affairs, but because
he was gay, had to feminise names, like
"Albertine".  Boule de suif = ball of suet, the
French version, 100 years ago, of "babe".


7. Conclusion

And still, we label you the weaker sex!
Vienna drew the sabre on the Serbs?
Yes, but - de minimis non curat lex!
The crowds which crammed along Parisian kerbs

were there to cheer Acquitted Henriette.
She'd sobbed and swooned, and mooned and spooned, and won!
Her husband never placed a safer bet:
they even let her keep her little gun!

So, gentlemen, those terms diminutive,
those "ines" and "ettes" -- just leave them all to Proust.
Beware her underwear, where waits a chiv!
The merry widow's black, and home to roost!

When passion immolates you in its flames,
whenever pulses race, and blood runs high,
and (worse still!) you resort to nookie names --
my little chickadee, my cutie pie,

ma boule de suif, my little bit of fluff -
beware what's lurking in a woman's ****!
Copyright © | Year Posted 2017

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

White Avatar
April 18, 2017 at 10:24 AM
Finally, a comment by Darrine ;) De minimis non curat lex, nor did Paris, hah! A war was nothing. "Or Sorel is the moral. We're not free.// For all our empty talk of Liberty,// our lives are ruled by (could we only see!)// the crude determinist machinery// that novels have. For such lèse-majesté// he got his just come-uppance. Ça suffit.//" Mais oui! Ça suffit. Nothing more important. I've read all of the series, and it was an eye-opener. I didn't know any of this, thank you, mon ami!
Coy Avatar
April 18, 2017 at 10:48 AM
Je te remercie, mon brave.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace