Advance Men
We advance with black boots on our feet–
and find relative victory sweet.
But it’s hard to discern
a true end — and we learn
that our every advance means retreat.
–Tom Riley
Special Delivery
When the special delivery came,
how the normal retreated in shame!
“Normal,” formerly great,
was a burdensome weight.
They could hardly admit to the name.
–Tom Riley
Crimen Kylonis Renis
Damn spot! Han Solo’s own son ran him through!
I admit that, like you, I saw it coming.
Heroes die. It is altogether true.
Fictive affections shouldn’t be so numbing
as to prevent a fan from knowing that.
No dashing scoundrel should prove so endearing
that, when we smell an overwhelming rat,
we find our base suspicions disappearing.
No. I saw Solo walking toward his doom.
I saw the kid would shortly be betraying
all natural affection. I presume
you saw as well — but is such sight worth saying?
The mind perceives. The heart can’t help but ache.
The Star Wars Universe is hard to take.
–Tom Riley
Flammeus Gladius 