‘And he saw how the reeds grew dark
At the coming of night-tide,’ W.B. Yeats
Drain the Swamp
a congress of reeds congregates in the shadows
corrupted, its oil glutted rodomont brims,
impassable moat churning pristine and brackish
host to edge dwellers too fearful to swim
as murky gray fog settles round its foundation
turbidity swirls, fire tangoing with ice
the tide ebbs disturbing its frail underpinning
sweeping them into all manner of vice
this haven for hoards of crude middling beasties
conceals crawling shape-shifters, long-legged fowl
slimy, amphibious, hideous predators
hiding sub-surface, always on the prowl
~kat
Today’s Prompt Verse for Jane Dougherty’s A Month with Yeats – Day Ten Poetry Challenge is from Yeats’ poem, ‘The Host of the Air.’ I resisted looking up the poem this time, before writing my own, because I wanted to focus entirely on the words of the verse. At first glance I imagined sunset rouged, tidal wetlands, with tall sea wheat and cattails; the day surrendering to evening. But when I looked up the word ‘reed’ I discovered it has a myriad of possible definitions; one in particular that caught me eye...from Webster: a person without strength of character. Oh…it went on…doorman, jellyfish, namby-pamby, pushover, weakling, wimp, coward, milquetoast, mouse, nebbish, nervous Nellie (or nervous Nelly), pussy [slang], wuss (also wussy) sheep. Not the idyllic scene I first imagined, but hey…I went with it, with a melding of the two. With so many reeds to inspire me on the world stage these days, how could I resist?!
like mercury colliding... 
November 10th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
I think you should drain the swamp, Kat.
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November 10th, 2017 at 12:56 pm
I am trying Jane…one teacup dip (aka vote) at a time (at least my fellow Virginians are starting to see the light. We had a decent showing and encouraging results on Tuesday’s elections :))
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November 10th, 2017 at 12:58 pm
Seems as though all the Democrat voters have to do is turn out and they’ll win.
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November 10th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
In some cases, districts are so gerrymandered it’s impossible to produce anything but republicans. If dems inch their way back, they will hopefully change the miss-matched patchwork of precincts allowing people to vote where they live instead of where it is politically expedient for conservatives.
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November 10th, 2017 at 1:05 pm
Shifting the electoral boundaries is a favourite pastime of politicians who know they won’t hold their seat unless they cheat.
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November 10th, 2017 at 1:07 pm
There is growing resistance to this practice. I would love to see it remedied. 🙂
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November 10th, 2017 at 3:26 pm
You’d need a strong, confident, ethical congress for that. Do you think you might have one of those anytime soon?
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November 10th, 2017 at 4:32 pm
I think they’re coming. A glimmer of hope. Surely not among the current lot. A handful at best.
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November 10th, 2017 at 4:58 pm
The call for a shakeup is global. Politicians everywhere have been proved to be corrupt just like business leaders and potentates of all stripes. Maybe it’ll happen.
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November 10th, 2017 at 3:30 pm
We are very good at changing boundaries too. The mire seems to be increasing still!
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November 10th, 2017 at 4:34 pm
It’s a game to them. But it is the people who pay the price. 😟
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November 10th, 2017 at 4:38 pm
Sadly!
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November 10th, 2017 at 7:01 pm
Fantabulous imagery! 😎😎😎😎😎
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November 10th, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Thank you Dorna! 😊
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November 10th, 2017 at 11:15 pm
Drain the swamp
And it stank to high heaven
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November 11th, 2017 at 7:27 am
No doubt! 😳
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