T.O.A.S.T: Telling Old Age Sonnet Tales

Inspiration for this poem comes from Elizabeth Bishop, US Poet Laureate 1949: “The armored cars of dreams contrived to let us do many dangerous things” and a painting by 15th century painter Hieronymus Bosch, Tondal’s Last Vision.
 
In the Armored Cars of Dreams
Protection, perfection, putridity, and perfidy inside your head
myriad mesmerizing selections while staying home in bed
falling in and out of love, dreadful and  delightful daydreams
falling sound asleep, before waking state, in sleep very deep
deep inside Elizabeth Bishop”s armored cars of dreams
reside volumes of laughter and night fright screams
REM speed developing, enveloping detriments and improvements
time and temperature differential doesn’t seem to matter
Tondal’s Last Vision scatters, splatters, pitter pitter patter
walking on a wire, a wheel of death revolves slowly on fire
a bed of glass, a bed of nails, a barge of death as dreamtime sails
east of Tinian dropping into the depths of the Marianas Trench
fumaroles, lava flows, a whale blows, submerged sulfuric stench
high seas, high speeds, polar bears plead, addicts need, ice feeds
typhoons terrorize the night, sea birds in flight circling to the right 
jaywalking, running across melting polar ice, shooting loaded dice
and so inside the armored cars of dreams I sleep and so do you
so real, surreal,  beyond reality, false memories, and some true.  

These two sonnets are dedicated to POTUS 45, D. J. Trump, on President’s Day, Feb. 17. “I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name. There is grief in the sound, there were guilt in thy fame.”
—George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Vainglorious, Fame Notorious,
Shame Memorias

I tweet not and fear not autocracy and your name
though I grieve at its sound, your guilt and your shame
too long in the White House you must soon depart
sorrow for our country resides deep in my heart
for three years you have disturbed our nation’s peace
will House subpoenas and indictments ever cease
you must cease… and desist, apologize and explain
please retire to Mar A Lago to unite the US again
impeached forever now your name is gilded with guilt
too much ethical and moral blood has been spilt
your heart must bear it alone without your base
Barr & Giuliani can’t share it or help you save face
now vainglorious, vindictive, lacking in humility, phony
your status a quagmire of lawsuits, lying, and acrimony.

You Tweeted, You Lied, We Grieved
“You smiled, you spoke, and I believed by every word and smile deceived.”
—Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864)

You tweeted, you lied, we grieved
at every insulting word as you deceived
and wished that we would hear no more
and hoped it could be somewhat like before
despite a vindictive nature your sycophants remain
as you continue lying and deceit again and again
the Mueller Report your red base reads not
anointed with your power Giuliani breeds rot
towards truth and transparency AG Barr speeds not
something’s rotten in D.C. US Senators are amiss
seeming myopic to truth they all are denying
and with the exception of one, impeachment defying
we hear the gasps and moans of our democracy dying
your narcissism, instability, and ignorance the cause of all this.

Joey ‘Pepe Batbon’ Connolly (Special to the Saipan Tribune)
Joey “Pepe Batbon” Connolly is a retired teacher and has been named a poet laureate of Tinian. He has taught English in CNMI public schools for the past 30 years. He has also taught in Alaska, New Orleans, and Las Vegas.