At focal points, as hoisted high,
Our heroes stand aloft,
And so exposed to passers by,
They’re all too often scoffed.
Some are standing there aloof,
And gaze toward the yonder,
Of claim to fame there’s little proof,
And so the doubtful ponder.
Others more in comfort stand,
With gentle disposition,
Still it is that some demand,
The deepest inquisition.
. What of gilded honour, shamefully misplaced?
. Careful that our heroes are not wrongfully disgraced

© Tim Grace, (WS-Sonnet 66: line 5) 20 April 2011

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To the reader: Our heroes are exposed to levels of scrutiny that we lesser mortals need not suffer. With fame, I assume, comes a one-to-many ratio of intangible relationships. As that ratio increases (favouring the crowd) so too the potential for a distorted message. Managing a hero’s branding must be no easy task. The temptation, of others to add a little notoriety to fame has perverse benefits; a lucrative attraction for those seeking coat-tail profits.

To the poet: Assonation, as described in dictionary terms, relates to corresponding sounds; particularly that of vowels. As poems develop they naturally gravitate towards a group of sounds. In this poem ‘and’ resonates as a conjunction of thought and extension of sound; it acts as the overture to stand and demand … an assertive prompt!

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hoisted on high