Billionaires Banquet Of Modern Etiquette
By Peter Devonald
Welcome to the Banquet for the beautiful and the blessed.
The most extravagant lavish feast
everyone is invited
(if you are a billionaire or more).
A symphony of succulence
garnished with apocalypse tomorrows --
side dishes of diseases, disasters and destiny calling,
soupcon of carnage and despair,
views of the end of days, playing perfectly in the tender rare.
To an orchestra of the finest musicians:
symphonies of atonement songs, entertaining perfection.
He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon --
always be mindful of the devil's table
The meal spread out across the depths of time.
plate after deliciously awful plate,
a beggar's banquet of unsavoury exquisite things.
Everybody, sooner or later,
sits down to a banquet of consequences.
A crust eaten in peace is better
than a banquet partaken in anxiety.
Enjoy when you can,
endure when you must
whilst you still may.
Bon appétit toujours
Peter Devonald is joint winner of FofHCS Poetry Award 2023, winner Waltham Forest Poetry Competition 2022 and Heart Of Heatons Poetry Award 2021. Nominated for the Forward Prize: Best Single Poem, two Best Of The Net nominations and poet in residence at Haus-a-rest. Published extensively including London Grip, Artists Responding To…, Forget-Me-Not Press and Poetic Map Of Reading. Screenwriter winner of 50+ film awards, former senior judge/ mentor Peter Ustinov Awards (iemmys) and Children’s Bafta nominated.
Website: http://www.scriptfirst.com/
Instagram: @peterdevonald
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