“No Kings — Weymouth, MA” © Russell duPont

 

No Kings

I have not
adjusted well
to the current
“Royal” usurper.

There are so many
etiquette questions
to ponder and review.

When do I scrape?
When do I bow?
When I remove my hat
is a compliant sweep
showboating or is
it mandatory?
 

God, er, King, er,
one in the same,
may interpret any
gesture as mocking.
And punishment,
the least you could hope for
is a mocking nickname.

If only I had
paid more attention
in High School World Civ.

Checking back to
my HS Notebook
all I see
in bold black letters –
OFF WITH HIS HEAD.

 

John Stickney is a poet and writer originally from Cleveland, Ohio who currently resides in Denver, NC.

Russell DuPont a photographer, painter and printmaker whose works have been widely exhibited at such places as a The Grossman Gallery, SMFA; The Chandler Gallery; The Art Complex Museum; The SSAC; The Jasper Rand Art Museum; Gallery 360; The Duncan Miller Gallery; and numerous other galleries. He is one of the founders of The 4th Floor Artists in Rockland, MA. His works are included in both public and private collections, such as The Boston Public Library; Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and The Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He has has been featured in various publications, ranging from The Boston Herald Traveller Magazine and other newspapers to Camera Obscure, Howith Castle and JerryJazzMusician. He received a Certificate of Merit Award from the 1968 Newspaper National National Snapshot Awards for his work, “Shhhh.”