{Pope Alexander VI} by SJ Fowler

{Pope Alexander VI, who, with his son, Cesare Borgia, carried perfidy further than it had ever ben carried before}
by SJ Fowler

His skin is spanked red about his face and the neck billows that pour over his tight, starched collar. One must assume his whole body is red. He wears sandals instead of shoes, and will tell you why his feet must breathe. He wears socks with the sandals. His head is a perfect block, like a skin tag, a soft square jaw and a military reservist haircut, short and angular. He addresses himself in the third person; he enunciates speech before introducing himself or making the motion of pleasantries. He speaks at length about the lyrical poems he has written in celebration of our military victories. Because of his pompous tone he is well suited to the veld. His poems have been published in children’s magazines. He will read them to you if you are willing to listen. He is nearing his fiftieth year; he has never had a woman. I would have cut his throat were it not that he leaves me alone. He knows of my family and holds me in some regard. It is hard to receive the compliments of such a man, but not as difficult as having the energy to oppose him. I could easily purchase some Nile river virus from Porphyria and slip it into his tupperware boxes full of cottage cheese and mashed potato. He walks like a robot minesweeper. He has bad hips. I have often thought of striking his hip from his blind side with my knee. Many would laugh, and the public would think it an act of theatre. He is the largest Catholic devil to wield a sceptre, crowned with a skull. Everywhere he goes he is preceded by a smaller devil blowing a trumpet from which hangs a banner labelled “Belsabub.” By a chain he leads the Pope towards the jaws of hell.

A crowd gathers.
Or so they say.


Author bio:

SJ Fowler (1983) has had poetry published in over 70 journals & magazines, and is the author of two collections, Fights (Veer books 2011) and Red Museum (Knives Forks & Spoons press 2011). He is a member of the Writers forum poetry group, and an employee of the British Museum. He edits the Maintenant interview series for 3am magazine introducing contemporary European poets. His site is: SJ Fowler Poetry