by John Lard Zwerenz
Am I fine, am I beautiful?
I possess many rubies,
And I dine with kings.
I own many fair things,
And my face is young and fresh to the eyes.
Handsome musicians vie for my gaze,
They tell me so in secret ways,
Beneath the blue, enchanting skies.
So tell me then, if I am fine.
The perfume of my body
Is of delicious wine.
So tell me truly,
Am I pretty, am I fine?
My lips are round, and are redder than the rose.
Even the poet in his cloister, in his flowery close
Writes of me this hour.
Tell me, then, do I have power?
O poet of every starlit season,
O bard of greatness, use your reason,
And tell me, then, if I am fine.
"No, " the poet solemnly said,
"For within your spirit you are naught but what is dead.
And though you think yourself fair on the outside,
Beneath your skin, your outer hide
You are but phlegm and there,
Separate from the goodness of the outer air -
Naught but ugliness does within you abide.'
And so, scorned by truth, I walked away,
To find another bard to say:
"Thou art lovely, thou art fine,
More gloriously beautiful than the goddess-like sway
Of mighty Aphrodite, walking in the sunshine.
Thou art lovely, thou art fine! "
And in the grasp of the fresh, autumn air,
I fancied my interior to be more than what is fair.
JOHN LARS ZWERENZ
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ABOUT THE POET ~
John Lars Zwerenz (1969- ) is an American impressionistic poet. He is considered one of the most important new literary figures in the world, both internationally and in The United States. He has published seven books of poetry, all of which have risen dramatically in price since their original publication. Zwerenz owns a B.A. in English from The City University Of New York At Queens College and has traveled extensively throughout The United States and overseas as a kind of literary wanderer. He has held a bohemian reputation since his youth. Zwerenz's two most recent poetry books, "Ecstasy And Other Poems", released in December of 2016, and "Elysian Meadows", released in February of 2017, have been published by ATLA Publishing, based in The UK. His poems have also appeared prolifically in International Magazines and other anthologies. Zwerenz's poetry is often highly spiritual in nature. His verse almost always adheres to strict, metrical stanzas. He currently resides in The United States, and is 48 years of age., - Rachael Canter
Last updated December 06, 2016