July 14, 1790

                 July 14, 1790

The rain slopped on le Champ de Mars so hard
It was as if the air had disappeared.
For this great morn the bishop gave up card-
And dicing-table addiction.  Revered
By no one as a priest, lame Talleyrand
Approached the Mass in front of King and Queen.
Autun had put his noblest vestments on,
The outfit violet, almost obscene,
Nearly violent in its resplendence.
Two other clergy had to help him climb
The steps so he’d not fall.  This dependence
Was hidden, though.  And when at last the time
For his escape came round, he didn’t thank
God, but rushed to gambling and “broke the bank.”

This poem is part of a shorter sonnet sequence within this large sonnet sequence called The Encyclopedia Sonnetica.  The shorter sonnet sequence is called “Encased in Silk.”  I recommend you read this poem where it is set in its sonnet sequence.  To do that, search for “Encased in Silk” here in The Encyclopedia Sonnetica.

by phillipw | May 28, 2020 | CH, DI, GA, LO, MA, Ta | 0 comments