but a full-on con, self-professed with post-
graduate degrees in mixology
and the god-given sense to know which
smoldering home remedies will catch fire
(give or take an occasional legal glitch).
His healing pitch is grifted on the easy
comparison of queasily lowered brows to
their indistinctly raised betters. You'll doff
the scoffing face as he pulls back a masking
caparison, and your fever gallops hotly
hoof-in-mouth with an uncontrollable itch.
Tinctures, colloids, salves and potions,
they all have twisty caps, blithe boxes
bubbling over with hypnotic patterns
fashioned to cure your urge to avoid
his futility. First'll come the fondle, then
the crumple followed by purse strings loosening.
Don't consider it capitulation.
His assortment of fluid manipulations
bear a singular branding at 100 proof,
and after the recommended daily dosing
(two jiggers with each meal), you'll feel
you're homo erectus made sapient.
This poem is written for Big Tent Poetry's Week 3 Prompt, and marks the return of the beloved "Wordle" — that jumble of challenging vocabulary you see pictured at right. I managed to get all the words into the narrative.
11 comments:
Wow a clever medicine man! Nice one here Francis
Pamela
'First'll come the fondle, then
the crumple followed by purse strings loosening' Wow, cynical or what! A fun poem, dishing out some terrific medicine.
this is very colorful, in a good way, and the words are well incorporated in the poem…I wish I could write like this.
Big grin - this is wild, fun, beautiful and image full.
You've mixed a potent cocktail yourself with this one, Francis!
What a great ode! Love the music in this, how you chose companion words (such as "pitch" for the glitch) to add meaning and sound.
Super!
(Glad you like Wordles, too.)
I like this whole ode to the alchemist, but I lean toward favoring the third stanza. What a delight to read out loud! thanks.
You use all the words so cleverly. I like "his assortment of fluid manipulations". You rose to the challenge!
a great list here: "Tinctures, colloids, salves and potions," ... so many tools at the alchemists disposal. :)
Very clever and imaginative! Good work as usual...
@Pamela More placebo than medicine I'm afraid :).
@Vivienne I can have my cynical moments, but I hear there's a tonic for that...
@Ana I think your blessed to write the way you do.
@Tumblewords Thanks for the grin!
@Derrick The poet and the alchemist.have much in common.
@Deb I am a Wordle devotee. I'm very glad Big Tent is continuing the tradition.
@Linda I've been trying to incorporate more rhyming in my writing (although unconventionally so).
@1965 Wordle challenges are my favorite. The words seem to always shape themselves into interesting narratives.
@Carolee ... and he'll use them all!
@Cynthia I give most of the credit to the interesting word choices.
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