A poem by Alec Derwent-Hope (1907–2000)
by Alec Derwent Hope
Reading the menu at the morning service:
– Iced Venusberg perhaps, or buttered bum;
Orders the usual sex-ersatz, and, nervous,
Glances around; Will she or won’t she come?
The congregation dissected into pews
Gulping their strip teas in the luminous cavern
Agape’s sacamental berry stews;
The nickel-plated light and clatter of heaven
Receive him, temporary Tantalus
Into the Lookingglassland’s firescape.
Suckled on Jungfraumilch his eyes discuss,
The werwolf twins, their mock Sabellian rape.
This is their time to reap the standing scorn,
Blonde Rumina’s crop. Beneath her leafless tree
Ripe-rumped she lolls and clasps the plenteous horn.
Cool customers who defy his Trinity
Feel none the less, and thrill, ur-vater Fear
Caged in the son. For, though this ghost behave
Experienced daughters recognize King Leer:
Lot also had his daughters in a cave.
Full sail the proud three-decker sandwiches
With the eye-fumbled priestesses repass;
On their swan lake the enchanted icecreams freeze,
The amorous fountain prickles in the glass
And at the introit of this mass emotion
She comes, she comes, a balanced pillar of blood,
Guides through the desert, divides the sterile ocean,
Brings sceptic Didymus his berserk food,
Sits deftly, folding elegant thighs, and takes
Her time. She skins her little leather hands,
Conscious that wavering towards her like tame snakes
The polyp eyes converge…. The prophet stands
Dreading the answer from her burning bush:
This unconsuming flame, the outlaw’s blow,
Plague, exodus, Sinai, ruptured stones that gush,
God’s telegram: Dare Now! Let this people go!
A few random poems:
- Impromptu on Mrs. Riddell’s Birthday by Robert Burns
- On Leaving Some Friends At An Early Hour poem – John Keats poems
- Epitaph on James Grieve by Robert Burns
- Night Song At Amalfi by Sara Teasdale
- Владимир Маяковский – Россия – страна земледельческая… (РОСТА №874)
- I see you moon by Raj Arumugam
- Orlando Furioso Canto 18 by Ludovico Ariosto
- Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to His Royal Highness poem – Alexander Pope
- Thou Reader. by Walt Whitman
- Epitaph for Mr. Walter Riddell by Robert Burns
- Омар Хайям – Куда уйти от пламенных страстей
- On Catullus by Walter Savage Landor
- Вера Павлова – Праздник после праздника
- Meaken Up A Miff by William Barnes
- Алексей Толстой – Темнота и туман застилают мне путь
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- Covenent by Rudyard Kipling
- Columns by Rudyard Kipling
- Cold Iron by Rudyard Kipling
- Cleared by Rudyard Kipling
- Cities and Thrones and Powers by Rudyard Kipling
- Christmas in India by Rudyard Kipling
- Cholera Camp by Rudyard Kipling
- Chapter Headings by Rudyard Kipling
- Chant-Pagan by Rudyard Kipling
- Certain Maxims Of Hafiz by Rudyard Kipling
- Cells by Rudyard Kipling
- Cain and Abel by Rudyard Kipling
- By the Hoof of the Wild Goat by Rudyard Kipling
- Butterflies by Rudyard Kipling
- Brookland Road by Rudyard Kipling
- Bridge-Guard in the Karroo by Rudyard Kipling
- Boots by Rudyard Kipling
- Blue Roses by Rudyard Kipling
- Bill ‘Awkins by Rudyard Kipling
- Belts by Rudyard Kipling
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.
Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works

Alec Derwent-Hope (1907–2000) was an Australian poet and essayist known for his satirical slant. He was also a critic, teacher and academic.