King Lear - by Poet Laureate of the Last Thursday Book Club

A "Leary" Review

by the LTBC Eminent Poetaster

Oh my, the Tragedy of King Lear,

Crown of England ... but alas, not all here

Plans to carve up his Royal Throne

Among three daughters ... his very own.

But wait!  two are very, very bad

Only Cordelia truly loves her Dad

Again, my friends, dementia prevails

And 'tis the evil duo Lear hails.

Poor Cordy's not asked to his dance

So she elopes with the lascivious King of France.

Now the evil daughters plot Daddy's pain

While King Lear goes slowly insane.

He first tries streaking a stormy heath

Clad in naught but his chattering teeth.

Lear's friend, Gloucester, suddenly joins in

When he sees where Loopy Lear's been.

So the serpenty sisters, out of spite

Gouge out Gloucester's "insightful" eye sight.

But wait!  Cordelia's French army returns

And for her dear father she greatly yearns.

They meet, hug and kiss

As if nothing's amiss -

For a brief moment it seems, my friend

Like we enjoy sugar & cream again.

But alas, as we near our final scene

Things really get nasty & downright mean.

That's to say, our body count

Starts to exponentially mount.

Edmund has Lear and Cordy jailed

So again, dark evil has prevailed.

He then has sweet Cordy hanged

Let the one good daughter be "dangling danged."

In the end, beaucoup blood is bled:

Lear, Gloucester & Edmond, door-nail dead.

Indeed, only Albany, Edgar & Kent

Survive the carnage ... their lives not spent.

Methinks Lear's ex-kingdom's on a slippery slope

And alas, dear friend, there is no hope!

P.S.:  "A tragedy is about defeat, damnation, death & despair

          These are shades of Life we all must bear."