The Bishop’s Long Diagonal

[dukealien]

The Bishop’s Long Diagonal



“It’s possible,” said Bishop Talleyrand,
Old confidante, turncoat, and paragon
Of guile, to his Napoleon the grand,
Bright chief of millions, squad by battalion,
“To do anything with bayonets,” he said,
“But sit on them.”  In view of this advice,
Napoleon commenced a war.

                           We’ve read
Of pacts allowing nuclear device
And missiles to Iran - but is there none
To mention that while nukes intimidate,
And threaten, and deter, the way things run,
In history, there’s this to postulate:
    You can do anything with nukes, my friend,
    Except fight wars with them.  Those, they just end.

---

Loose sonnet form, to Miscellaneous since it's not exactly "for fun."  Enjoy

[ellajam]

No, not fun, but yes, enjoyed.

[Erthona]

That's actually not in IP, it's more in accentual verse with five beats to the line rather than five feet to the line. However, I would just drop the sonnet label as on the square it reads just fine.

dale

[Achebe]

While the title is brilliant, there is an unfortunate double, or in this case triple, entendre that can't possibly have been intended.
Mars the seriousness of the poem.

[dukealien]

Oh!  What a marvelously diverse set of responses for such a miscellaneous.

No, not fun, but yes, enjoyed.

Glad it was enjoyed. It's a subject that, while it can be quite funny (see "Dr. Strangelove") can't be seriously funny.

That's actually not in IP, it's more in accentual verse with five beats to the line rather than five feet to the line. However, I would just drop the sonnet label as on the square it reads just fine.

A fine read is all I can ask (thanks for yours).  Trying to learn the ropes concerning substitutions in forms, fell overboard.

While the title is brilliant, there is an unfortunate double, or in this case triple, entendre that can't possibly have been intended.

Mars the seriousness of the poem.

Ah, the perils of focus and jargon!  In the business, "nuke" is pronounced as one syllable, with the "e" silent.  Your double/triple entendre reading does make it amusing - but say, more amusing, if you like gallows humor.

Mars is always too serious.  [Helically fasten] him.

@all - Thanks for the respective reads and comments!