Something That Sets You Apart

“Jesus H. Christ.
When I was a boy
every little squirt
wanted to be a harpooner
or a swordfisherman.”

Quint, “Jaws”

Go forth,
without the help of useless beauty
my little darlings,
with your common face.
Leap shamelessly,
you priestesses of grace!

The dance instills in you
something that sets you apart,
something heroic and remote.
One knows that in your world
Queens are made
of distance and greasepaint.

Edgar Degas, Sonnet V, “Degas And The Dance”

“Batman and Robin.
Militant arm
of the warm-blooded oppressors.
Animal protectors
of the status quo.
First I’ll rid myself
of the fur and feathered pests.
And then Gotham
will be mine
for the greening.”

Dr. Pamela Isley, “Batman And Robin”

(Coming tomorrow: Kings And Queens Of The Ancient Seas)