Richard St. Clair
I run away from passion! It's a poison
that has nothing better to do
than draw me Into the depths of its own lunacy,
shackling my mind and heart as if in prison,
denying me the sweeter fruits of reason.
Yes, I retreat from such inebriety,
to the calm of chemical serenity
which knows no day or night nor change of season.
The opportunities this day affords
seem limitless. You ask: Why take the path
of quietude–that is, of gentle words
surrendering the senseless pangs of wrath?
Because the sturm und drang of fickle feelings
can only lead to fruitless schemes and dealings.
Bio
Richard St. Clair leads a double life as a poet and a serious classical composer of over 120 works. He writes formal rhymed-metric poetry as well as freer forms. He has published his tanka in Bright Stars and Atlas Poetica, and his haiku and renku have appeared in Frogpond and elsewhere. He lives in Massachusetts.