The Winter of Our Discontent
Its edges browned with age, another photograph, long buried beneath piles of boxes, has come to light in recent days.
His eyes meet the camera head-on. His hand rests at the curve of a young girl’s hip.
the man, once a prince
hid behind purple curtains ...
now cuffed in cold steel
This sociopolitically conscious haibun is inspired by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, being arrested by UK police over Jeffrey Epstein ties.
The title, "The Winter of Our Discontent," is a famous allusion to the opening lines of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. It adds several layers to the piece:
Themes of Villainy:
In Shakespeare, the phrase is spoken by a character who resolves to be a "villain" because he feels excluded from a peaceful world. This subtly labels the man in the photograph as a predator or villain.
Moral Decay:
The title also alludes to John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, which explores the erosion of ethical standards and personal integrity. This aligns with your theme of a hidden, dark past coming "to light".
Irony and Timing:
Shakespeare’s original line (Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York) refers to the end of a dark time. Using it here suggests that the "winter" of secrecy and suffering for the victim is finally over because the perpetrator is now "cuffed"
And "The Winter of Our Discontent" is a sequel to my gembun below:
In a 2011 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, “… that dog that hasn’t barked is Trump.”
a pink-haired girl
seen through a telescope
of age-spotted hands
Added: Trump Empire, Inc, LXXVI
inspired by a viral social media prompt:The U.K. just arrested a royal. Is the U.S. capable of the same?
The Next One
My boy lines the dominoes along the coffee table’s edge, their lacquered backs blinking ivory in the lamplight, and nudges the first with his forefinger.
In the armchair, I grip the remote, the blue glare of the television flickering against my tired eyes as a news ticker scrolls the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
King Charles III’s words, “the law must take its course,” hang in the air like dust in the living room as I switch off the TV. I stand for a moment, facing the window, where the last of the light thins along the fence line.
the White House
shadowed against the sky
crow after crow ...
