The Storyteller

By luigi_pagano

Sat, 19 Dec 2020

937 reads

5 comments

1 likes

It wasn't Ernest Hemingway

who inspired me to write

but the shrewd Scheherazade,

of A-Thousand-and-One-Nights.

She kept a Sultan enthralled

with tales that were first class

to fend off his murderous intent.

I wish that I had met this lass

I would have been mesmerised

by her sweet-sounding voice

and enraptured by her beauty,

if I had been given the choice.

It must have been an ordeal

to be up all night in the harem

and trying hard to remain alive

though her prospects were slim.

The ruler had been badly hurt
by his unfaithful first wife;
he married again, many times,
but all the wives lost their life.

Scheherazade was also meant
to join the list and get the chop.
Definitely not, she exclaimed,
this perversion has got to stop.

She didn't use a sledgehammer
to crack this troublesome nut,
just a never-ending storytelling
of lovely tales, devoid of smut.

With a cliffhanger on every yarn,
tantalising, she held the suspense
thus relaxing the tough situation
that up to then had been tense.

At the end of the thousand nights
her eloquent tongue had dried up
yet the loss of absorbing narrative
did not lead to a marital breakup.

The Sultan realised at long last
it made no sense to punish her;
as she was undoubtedly talented
she ought to look for a publisher.

Comments

D'you know, despite liking

Permalink Submitted by Rhiannonw on Sat, 2020-12-19 11:33

D'you know, despite liking the music by Rimski-Korsakov so much, I'd never really thought about the story on which it is based. You've informed in a clear and entertaining poetic way,Luigi, (and I did look up a bit then!). Thanks! Rhiannon

Many legends and folktales

Permalink Submitted by luigi_pagano on Sat, 2020-12-19 13:03

Many legends and folktales have been the source for inspired classical music and ballet, Rhiannon. Some, like Romeo and Juliet or Swan Lake, are more recognisable than others.
I am glad that this poem prompted you to look up its origin.

My best wishes to you and your family for a happy Christmas.

Luigi x

Thanks for the cherries,

Permalink Submitted by luigi_pagano on Sat, 2020-12-19 16:18

Thanks for the cherries, Editors, and my Best Wishes for the festive season to all at ABC.

Excellent Luigi. Always

Permalink Submitted by onemorething on Sun, 2020-12-20 20:39

Excellent Luigi. Always important to leave the end of the story for another day. I'm sure many women have kept their heads that way. (Just one thing - did you mean 'lives'? I'm sure you did, it would make a nice rhyme. Loved this one. Rachel x

Hello Rachel, nice to hear

Permalink Submitted by luigi_pagano on Mon, 2020-12-21 12:37

Hello Rachel, nice to hear from you. Thanks for your appreciation.
Regarding your query about whether I meant to say 'lives' the answer is no, I used 'life' not only to rhyme with 'wife' but also on the premise that although the subject (but all the wives) is plural the object can be singular as each wife has only one life My online spell, grammar and punctuation checker accepts both versions (life/lives). I tested my assumption with other examples: e.g. "All the pensioners over eighty I knew lost their memory"; "All the neighbours invited me to their house"
I was then satisfied that it was just a question of semantics, logical rather than grammatical. It was a useful exercise. Anyway, if we don't cross swords before Christmas, have a good and peaceful time during the festive season and beyond.