Den of Iniquity: A Ballad with a taste of the Wild West and Old Mexico (Poetry)
Den of Iniquity
The sad tale of the dashing Ricardo
His lovely betrothed, Rosalie
And the dancer who cruelly seduced him
From his love, she wanted him free
Her love was a Den of Iniquity
Where morals were ground into dust
El Diablo seducing their senses
Enticement rewarded with lust
The allure of Castile's seguidilla
Its beats matched the drum of her heart
Her rainbow of skirts whirled in ecstasy
No danger could force them apart
His soft lips shamed Don Juan's famed ambrosia
She moved with a hypnotic sway
The crowd roared with increasing crescendo
He'd bed her before end of day
His young Senorita, she knew this; as
She watched the two writhe 'round the floor
Of the smoky cantina - betrayal!
She slipped from the shadowy door
As she moved to confront her false lover
The pistol barked twice in the night
In slow swansong the lovers embraced death
She stared down, unmoved by the sight
Then she pressed la pistola to her breast
He'd sworn that they never would part
The last bullet would end her young life now,
As it pierced her love-tortured heart
Their graves lie together in Mexico
On a hilltop by a shade tree
A young dancer, the faithless Ricardo
And vengeful betrothed, Rosalie
© J C Edwards
Photo from Google Images Labeled Free for Reuse
Bitter vengeance and passion. Loved it :0)
Thanks so much, @meesterboom! It reminds me of old westerns I used to watch on television - and of course, that's what inspired this poem. I think the old-fashioned style of the ballad suits it. :)
Perfect! It has the same gritty feel as the John Wayne (and his era) Westerns! Wonderful!
Wonderful comment, thank you! I love it when someone 'gets' the feel I was trying to achieve! xox
You know how you have certain "feelings" as a child, when doing something... I used to watch a "Zorro" series and this poem brought those feelings right back =) ... I wonder whatever happened to the Zorro craze? (That terrible Antonio Banderas movie doesn't count... Although, maybe THAT's what happened to the craze, lol.)
It also has a certain "Conte do Monte Cristo" feel to it.
Hey, I used to watch the tv series Zorro too! I loved that show, lol. And a feeling of The Count of Monte Cristo - that is praise indeed. Thanks so much for the compliment and support! :)
Very good poem, I am interested to read it.
You enjoyed the poem and yet didn't upvote it? That's not cool, man.