They’re auctioning off the pistol
Verlaine used to shoot Rimbaud
In an absinthe & opium fueled lover’s spat.
Souvenir of love, bloody violence and poetry.

Paul was arrested on charges of attempted murder
And served two years in prison for wounding an underage poet.
Spent spare time writing Songs Without Words,
Becoming a Catholic and dating 17 year old students.

After writing A Season in Hell,
Artie left the dangerous world of French poetry to
Walk across Europe,
Enlist in and desert the Dutch Army,
Export African coffee, and
Sell outdated firearms to the future Emperor of Ethiopia.

10/25/16