The Shine Journal

Ode to the One True Saint

You, Jean Valjean, the very picture of

  Humility, forgiveness, selflessness,

Gentleness, faith, hope, charity, and love—

  O, if all could share your true tenderness,

Then there would be no more senseless, useless

  Killing in the name of God and Country,

No more hatred, cruelty, and prejudice,

  Then we could all, for once, truly be free—

Alas! – how far from reality is

  This vain and unreachable distant dream!

It slips away in the wind just like piss

  To be replaced by the sick, cruel, and mean…

So ends this ode to you, the one true saint;

Victor, his death left a permanent taint!

So Long, Postmodernism

by

Bill Moore

Suppose, for one moment, Rousseau was right—
That those primal days which we’ve left behind
Were far more meaningful, peaceful, and bright,
Modern life just mere ashes in the wind;
And, the farther back in time that we go,
The less bloodshed, war, hatred, prejudice—
Tell me, my friend, would you like me to show
You:  Truth? Beauty? Equality? Justice?
Yes? Yes? Well, let us go then, you and I,
Let us leave this dead world of poverty,
Degradation, disgust, and empty skies—
Start all over again, just you and me.
We can leave dead modernity behind to rust—
O, the savage beauty of ignorance and lust!

Motivation:

"Ode to the One True Saint" Jean Valjean's character compared to real people.

"So Long Postmodernism" Wondering if Rousseau was right.

Bio:   I am a freelance writer/editor living in Durant, OK with my wife Jade. I have an English degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I'm working on a critical Bob Dylan book and looking for a publisher for a poetry book.