Delightful Duet

By John RC Potter

I Could Write A Poem

I could write a poem;
What with waiting over four hours in the airport.

I could write a poem, with all this time before me.
I could write a poem with just a little bit of inspiration.
I could write a poem, words of wisdom and wit.
I could write a poem and make optimal use of my time.
I could write a poem, except I am so damned tired.

I could write a poem, but I just can’t
be bothered.
I could write a poem. But guess what?
I just did!

The Fabled Suspect: A Hybrid Poem

“Birds in the Setting Sun” Painting by the author’s god-daughter, Nisa Winter. 

Just sit down and let me tell you a tall tale,
which may not be true but merely a fable.
It is a fabulous story from the distant past.
But doesn’t go back as far as Cain & Abel. 

Stirring one’s emotions with a cinematic flair, 
if a movie, it could have starred Clark Gable. 
There was a mysterious woman in Singapore, 
with pearls in her ears and wearing a sable. 

She appeared during the Roaring Twenties,
on a steamer from Spain, did our Mabel. 
A different lover every night of the week, 
soon casting off the stallions in her stable. 

Despite the danger, men fell under her spell,
being young, strong, lustful, willing, and able. 
One night in the Raffles bar, the fun ended 
when a man was shot, falling under a table. 

This Mata Hari fled into the humid night,
the mata-mata sending an Interpol cable. 
The years went by, and she was never found,
but a fable endures for this rattling cascabel. 

John RC Potter is an international educator from Canada, residing in Istanbul.  He has experienced a revolution (Indonesia), air strikes (Israel), earthquakes (Turkey), boredom (UAE), and blinding snow blizzards (Canada), the last being the subject of his story, ‘Snowbound in the House of God’ (Memoirist). His poems, stories, essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines and journals. The author’s poem, “Nie Wieder/Never Again”, and his story, “Ruth’s World,” were Pushcart Prize nominees, and his poem, “Tomato Heart,” was nominated for the Best of the Net Award. The author has a gay-themed children’s picture book scheduled for publication. He is a member of the League of Canadian Poets and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Recent Fiction Publication: “Clara Von Clapp’s Secret Admirer” in The Lemonwood Quarterly, Clara Von Clapp’s Secret Admirer – The Lemonwood Quarterly

Website: https://johnrcpotterauthor.com  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRCPotter