All Comments on 'Inquisition at the Council Chambers'

The poem makes its point with honesty and clarity. It feels right when you read it. Good writing, buddy. :)

It is a very strong poem, JD. I love clever word play like the verbiation (verbalization? verbitation?) of cantor.

I am puzzled by a couple phrases: "the tender tools of destruction": in what way are they tender? And why the francophilic spelling of "masque"?

The final stanza is, ironically, a convenient truth.

...because the questions were good'uns!

The multi-layered use of "cantored" was a gift from the Muse... (hopefully, she hears this, and will be kind to me!). I wanted the illusion to rhythmic cantering, (as in horse hooves); I wanted the religious "chant" overtones, and the reference to "cantors". I also realized the homonymic sound to "candor". So, ultimatlely I went with "cantored voices" rather than "solemn bullshit".

As for "masqued", it was an intentional affectation. Masqued, as in "obscurred" or "protected". I also wanted the classical reference to "masques"... theatrical, molded faces. The Inquisition references also seemed to need something more than simply "masked" or "hidden".

Finally, the "tender tools of destruction" was purposeful juxtaposition, as in "ferocious delicasy". I wanted a rather soft oxymoron, hopefully capturing the sentiment of Oscar Wilde when he wrote: "Each man kills the thing he loves, by each let this be heard. The brave does it with a sword, the coward with a kiss."

In reality, they said someting akin to: "We respect you, and what you've done, BUT...". It was so tender... so destructive. Bottomline, I was publicly pilloried and gutted with tender, non-objectionable words.

Ergo, the convenient truth.