“The wise prince makes decisive changes, new
succeeds upon the old.” Sweet Chinese.
“It is the barren womb that fructifies,
a lineage shall arise.” Good Hebrew.
“The warrior shall sacrifice the past,
his wound be his acquittal.” Sly Greek.
What was it the oracle meant to speak?
In choice of wives, next time you sit and cast
the coins, the yarrow stalks, the cards, the dice,
the twigs upon the fire, beware of too
infatuate a trust in destiny
or fate. The oracle is mischievous.
Was it to leave the old wife for the new,
or yield the first her newfound mastery?
Questions and Answers
What poetic techniques did you use in “The Oracle”?
It’s a rhyme-variant of the Petrarchan sonnet.
This poem “The Oracle” originally appeared in 25th Anniversary Issue. Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 100 (Spring 1984): 298.
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