To honor someone’s talent
While excusing certain views
Which the world may deem offensive
Is the stuff that makes the news.
For a well-endowed museum,
With a Costume Institute,
Planned to showcase a designer
Who’s the face of ill repute.
Known for comments that disparage
People different from his type,
Nonetheless, his output thrives
With many drawn into the hype.
Yet the show for Galliano,
With Ms. Wintour’s staunch support,
Raised the hackles of some donors
And those critics got to thwart
What, to me, was recognition
That should surely be reserved
For designers with both talent
And integrity observed.
Sometimes those with too much power
Make decisions which, I’d bet,
Turn the tide to flow against them,
Though they harbor no regret.
“I hold a delightful being and an undesirable being inside of me.
It’s up to you which one you meet”
~~The Poet~~
dismally destructive
yet charmingly creative
unabatedly chaotic
obligatorily perfection
unsophisticatedly naïve
graciously worldly wise
uncouth and ill-mannered
poised etiquette
audaciously rude
enticingly eloquent
unsuitably slovenly
exactingly efficient
decked in Shabby attire
styled with cultured couture
disheveled, dingy
polished, well-groomed
in company of many in ill-repute
thoroughbred acquaintances
robotically draconian
artistically graceful
Surrender
stoops in darkness
Defeat
its noble kin
Valor weeps
on bended knee
Honor lost
— when blood runs thin
***
The Pen
Words attack
the armor
of every
given age
To right the wrongs
all shields prolong
their pen attacks
— with rage
***
Leaving Old Choices
Tunneling out
of mortality
Inching my way
toward the light
Leaving old choices
of dire repute
Trading ill fortune
— for heaven’s delight
(The First Book Of Prayers: May, 2026)
Bat with the bad repute.
All I've took in
Bird with a mask;
Fiendish looking.
Bat, increasing man's fear
Of the unknown.
All I've felt overflown of
For subterfuge
Elusive darks
Its hushed refuge.
Its funny, comedic in fact
to see those who think they have morals
yep
let me be clear
its not complicated
like it wasn't complicated with the Nazis
If you support Israel and Zionism
you have no morals
poets of ill repute
to you I puke
Epstein and Netanyahu
if those two arouses you
maybe move to Israel
with the rest of them
Have a happy birthday party
to the vigilantes of Israel
Twenty trillion, so he claims,
has hit the White House coffers:
he says we’re rolling in the loot –
where is it?
We’re all playing Hunger Games.
Qataris make him offers.
The Congress has been put on mute –
where is it?
He wants to shaft Letitia James:
no evidence he proffers.
He holds, he says, a winning suit –
where is it?
Kicking butt and naming names -
or Noems – they’re Jimmy Hoffas!
Their policy ‘will soon bear fruit’ –
where is it?
Cuba Gooding, Seal, Ving Rhames,
we’re Jimmy Kimmels, scoffers.
“No Epstein stuff”, yells the galoot:
where is it?
The People’s House goes up in flames,
applauded by his champagne-quaffers.
“International repute” -
where is it?
Seems like certain politicos toss about the f---word thinking they're cute!
Didn't their mommies teach them that real ladies and gents of good repute,
Don't express themselves in public in such a disgraceful manner and so crudely?
"Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself lewdly!"
Abusing the meek,
Manhandling the weak,
Pleasure, if you like to seek,
Thinking that they don’t speak,
Your life becomes very bleak,
Once the torture reaches its peak!
People will no longer be mute.
If you change not your pursuit,
It will bring down your repute;
Very bitter is its fruit!
Become not ‘The Narcissistic Sun’;
You will be liked by none.
Permanent is not your power;
Hour by hour, it withers like a flower!
Take not pride in your strength;
Be aware, too short is its length!
4th Place
Concern of the father for his fond children should be shown.
To this world, shouldn't your eternal glory be made known?
Marriages brought minds and hearts together like birds of feathers.
Joy in the wedding of Cana Brim-filled beyond measures
Mary, mother of mothers, as a friend of friends felt one
The household, with the bride and groom, was in frolic and fun.
As the one felt the feelings, she felt the wine diminish.
Won't, at the end, for no sin of his, the steward languish?
As dawn on the summer morning, to you secrets were clear.
For you, the father, repute of the bride and groom were dear.
In the form of your first sign, you revealed yourself as God.
Though they applauded your act, did you seek any reward?
At a dip of your hand, water, the sign of human will
Changed into wine, a sign of your blood… Awe-filled crowed stood still.
When a whore house was fun
I sat down to write about flowers, those often
called weeds and grows on untended pavements
but another thought got in the way as I recalled
that flowers in a whore house are usually plastic
except for a chrysanthemum on
a painting on a wall of an artistic whore
I have had much fun in houses of ill-repute
it is not only sex but also laughter and dance
The girls liked young sailors and the possibility
of a steady relationship.
It did happen to a sailor coming home from Brazil
with a blushing bride, no need to tell how
they had met
Time has changed, women are victims of men's
sexual demands and places where many victims
operate from have been closed down
Just as well, women in this trade are sex workers
and if not treated rightly, can take a customer
to court, or try a little blackmail
Whoring was more moral before you paid and
had a laughter, not hard-headed business
as the line of work has become
Watching you go through withdrawal
Seeing you suffer like your skin crawls
Never have I been so proud
You are stronger now laying on the ground
How do you wonder as you’re in pain
But the thunder of your heart is changed
You refuse to be a house of ill repute
For drink drugs and evil spirits so loose
You have kept your word and fight each urge
To use again and fly like blue bird
Instead you bravely stay on the ground
Where flowers grass love at last are found
BYE ERN
There once was a man from Bavaria
Whose actions could not be scarier
In the woods where he lurked
And at night where he worked
It was designated as a no-go area
But at heart he was a secretive guy
Of ill repute, but couldn’t see why
All those songs that were sung
About him being well hung
From a tree in the woods so high
Grandeur gloriousness reveal Renaissance God glory
Laurels tributes elevations treasured honored glory Always
Omni acclaimed exhortations based hommage ovations
Renowned p l a n d i t repute raves glory God Always
Yahweh confident placed in almighty God glory always
12/13/23
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr 2023©
“I hold a delightful being and an undesirable being inside of me.
It’s up to you which one you meet”
~~The Poet~~
dismally destructive
yet charmingly creative
unabatedly chaotic
obligatorily perfection
unsophisticatedly naïve
graciously worldly wise
uncouth and ill-mannered
poised etiquette
audaciously rude
enticingly eloquent
unsuitably slovenly
exactingly efficient
decked in Shabby attire
styled with cultured couture
disheveled, dingy
polished, well-groomed
in company of many in ill-repute
thoroughbred acquaintances
robotically draconian
artistically graceful
reprehensible
his unwanted advances ~
man of bad repute
uncouth behavior
sexual harassment ~
cat-calling women
brings shame upon self
needs attitude adjustment ~
simply obnoxious
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