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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, BORN 450 YEARS AGO TODAY

by Earl J. Wilcox


Image source: Elephant

. . . Alexander died, Alexander was buried,
Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of
earth we make loam; and why of that loam, whereto he
was converted, might they not stop a beer-barrel?
Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.
O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,
Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw!
But soft! but soft! aside: here comes the king.
                                            --Hamlet 5.1


Rapper from Avon:
Yo, you stun our souls, our mate.
Sing on, man, sing on.


Earl J. Wilcox writes about aging, baseball, literary icons, politics, and southern culture. His work appears in more than two dozen journals; he is a regular contributor to The New Verse News. More of Earl's poetry appears at his blog, Writing by Earl.