Get Your Premium Membership

Passages and plays

Gone now is all reason, 
as if she needed any more 
A princess awakens lonely, 
just like in days of yore
Her prince left much earlier,
through a gargoyled secret door,
Its passage led to lower levels,
walls curved round toward

Gone now is all reason, 
as if she needed any more 
The stable lad followed him, 
and came back covered in straw 
No idea how he got there, 
she turned to face the floor 
And as her gait grew longer, 
ghostly figures start to show 

Gone now is all reason, 
as if she needed any more,  
The kids lay in bed ailing, 
red faces appeared galore 
Instead of firing the embers,
she powdered up her nose 
Children rolled on hills outside, 
taking turns as well as goes

Gone now is all reason, 
as if she needed any more 
The butler cried silently, 
for he knew each of their flaws
As the princess regained her poise, 
the prince came out all gay 
Reading the paper smiling,
“I see war’s declared today”

In the end there is no reason,
makes more sense anyway
Fresh eggs taste best for breakfast,
when the rooster’s on a tray
They all sat down and mimed, 
no one dared give the game away 
When masquerades seem over, 
charades are simpler to play

Copyright © | Year Posted 2024




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

Date: 8/16/2025 11:55:00 AM
Dear David, congratulations for your success in Mark’s contest with your deep, thought-provoking poem, full of symbolism and imagery, that stokes the intellect and stones the imagination. I adore the “gargoyled secret door”.. love where it took me. A fantastic and fascinating piece. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 8/16/2025 2:45:00 PM
Hey there Susan, a peculiar one for sure, quite a few levels appear once we pass through that gargoyled secret door, I’m delighted it took you someplace, and stoned your incredible imagination which is no mean task lol! The video above, and lyrics to (A whiter shade of pale) was the trigger for this piece, one of my own personal favourites, cheers David
Date: 8/13/2025 12:03:00 PM
I love it when reason goes ! Congrats- such fun to read this one, David.
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 8/13/2025 1:12:00 PM
Thank you Ghairo, my reason is constantly going lol! I’m afraid one of these days it mightn’t come back, cheers David
Date: 8/13/2025 10:32:00 AM
Wow, David, there’s a lot of twists and turns in this beauty! Every time I read it I get something else out of it. Nicely done. Congratulations on your top 10 win on Mile 6 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 7 has already started.
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 8/13/2025 1:10:00 PM
Thank’s Mark, the idea was always to layer this one up, with many meanings embedded, I’m delighted to be off the mark in your contest after missing the first few legs, cheers David
Date: 8/13/2025 10:20:00 AM
Fun and quirky! The story feels like a playful fairytale where anything can happen, and the repeated line ties all the wild moments together nicely.
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 8/13/2025 1:08:00 PM
Heya Rowena, I love your critique, there is also a deeper underlying story going on here about humanity in general, a couple of reads usually uncovers those deeper levels, cheers David
Date: 8/13/2025 10:01:00 AM
How pleased I am to see you score on Mile 6 of Mark's Marathon, David!
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 8/13/2025 1:05:00 PM
Thanks so much Lin, I remember you always liked this particular piece and the accompanying video, I’m still pretty fond of this one too, and read it often, cheers David
Date: 2/4/2024 2:54:00 PM
wow david you chose an excellent song to go with your deep poem:-) hugs Jan xx
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 2/4/2024 3:00:00 PM
Thanks Jan, the strange thing is I find this Annie Lennox cover, brings a whole new level and meaning, to perhaps what is an indecipherable song, cheers David
Date: 1/28/2024 6:07:00 PM
Annie does it good, great choice. David is this for the imagination contest, because yours went wild with imagery and gination! A drunken sexual escapade gone awry. Others believe that the title refers to the moment where the protagonist finally let's go of his lover’s memory, and as she becomes ‘a whiter shade of pale’, her death finally sets in
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 1/29/2024 5:38:00 AM
She really does hit all the right notes with her performance covering whiter shade of pale, imo the video brings the classic song to a whole new level, I do like your interpretation of drunken sexual escapade gone wrong, I’d more drug induced ones in mind (powder on nose) and rolling and taking turns, (passing a joint around) it’s a trippy one for sure, but hey this one can take the reader wherever they want to go, nothing is set in stone, cheers David
Date: 1/28/2024 11:07:00 AM
Loved this line: Fresh eggs taste best for breakfast, when the rooster’s on a tray. Such a great line!
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 1/28/2024 11:15:00 AM
Ha I’ll leave that one to the imagination Kim, a lot of twists and turns in this one, makes for a more appetising read, cheers David
Date: 1/28/2024 10:37:00 AM
WOW!!! What a wonderful write/story. Great ending.... Have a wonderful day/week................
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 1/28/2024 10:52:00 AM
Heya Paula! Thank you for stopping and commenting on this one, glad you enjoyed, cheers David
Date: 1/28/2024 4:47:00 AM
A masterpiece of a poem David, I sensed an air of Poe, quite dark. Hope your weekend is going well. Tom
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 1/28/2024 6:14:00 AM
High praise Tom! I’m delighted you enjoyed this one, a lot of dark passages and plays going on throughout, Thanks so much for such a kind comment, cheers David
Date: 1/28/2024 4:25:00 AM
Where do I begin to applaud this one, David. Walking through the Gargoyle Door, I think. It foreshadowed the darkness to come. All the way through wake-up time and breakfast as usual, reading the news... as if they cared. Rooster on a tray is part of my fave verse. The music is perfect... adds to the whole ethereal ghostlike vision. I have to fave the whole write. I'm declaring it one of your very best.
Login to Reply
Kavanagh  Avatar
David Kavanagh
Date: 1/28/2024 4:50:00 AM
Thanks so much Lin I am honestly humbled, with such a comment, this one I just had to write after watching Annie Lennox beautiful version (whiter shade of pale) on a rerun last week, yes lots of darkness going on beyond that gargoyled door, I think most know what it is but would rather not say, although I hope people see deeper into the poem just like you did, thanks again for the fav and declaring it one of my best, cheers David

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry