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:
- Au Salon
- In Tempore Senectutis poem – Ezra Pound poems
- English Poetry. Thomas Moore. From “Irish Melodies”. 85. Oh For the Swords of Former Time. Томас Мур.
- Sonnet Ii
- The Brave and the Love Flute by Tomás Ó Cárthaigh
- An Arundel Tomb by Philip Larkin
- Ho, everyone that thirsteth poem – A. E. Housman
- Джон Мильтон – Новым гонителям свободы
- Black song about a black woman and red wine by Vinko Kalinić
- Morning Poem #39 by Wanda Phipps
- It’s No Use Raising A Shout by W H Auden
- The House Where We Were Wed by Will McKendree Carleton
- A Day-Dream’s Reflection by William Allingham
- Poet Herodia of ancient Pincaeia by Raj Arumugam
- Writing to Onegin by Ruth Padel
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
- Grass is a taut crew; poem – Amy Michelle Mosier poems | Poems and Poetry
- Goddess poem – Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi poems | Poems and Poetry
- Freedom poem – Aminu Ola Rasaq poems | Poems and Poetry
- Dyer Died In Silence poem – Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson poems | Poems and Poetry
- Compassion poem – Amey Deshpande poems | Poems and Poetry
- Beachy Blues poem – Andrew Neil Maternick poems | Poems and Poetry
- Among hills Apache red poem – Amy Michelle Mosier poems | Poems and Poetry
- A song of living poem – Amelia Burr poems | Poems and Poetry
- A dream is a butterfly poem – Amy Michelle Mosier poems | Poems and Poetry
- Ode to Wine
- On The Wedding Of The Aeronaut poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- To E.S. Salomon poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Valley Of Dry Bones poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Passing Show poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The New Decalogue poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Mad Philosopher poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Legatee poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Key Note poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Hesitating Veteran poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
- The Death Of Grant poem – Ambrose Bierce poems | Poems and Poetry
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.