Use Me As Your Spaniel

Welcome to the first installment of this clever little Webber's poetic musings. My valiant effort to maintain a fashion blog of sorts flopped. (I like clothes, but remembering to take pictures of each outfit , uploading those pictures, and then posting them to my blog annoy me.) My not-so-valiant attempt to maintain a wedding "reflection" website no longer strikes my fancy. However, what do I always enjoy doing (aside from eating fruit snacks)? I'll tell you. I always enjoy writing. Alas, my vocation of teaching canonical literature to the youth of America leaves me feeling...well...stupid. I need a hobby to exercise my intelligence. So, here I am on yet another blogging adventure. I do hope you enjoy today's poem, which has been inspired by Shakespeare's ever-pitiful character Helena from his ever-comical play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. I shall call it "Fie, Helena!"


Fie, Helena!


Shall I compare thee to a midsummer's day?
No, instead, you will interrupt to say
That you are as ugly as a bear or a boar
And it is Hermia whose value is so much the more.
Though it is clear for this you have quite the propensity,
Do not degrade yourself with such intensity.


Poor, poor Helena, you are a colossally pathetic mess
Who woos Demetrius without a bit of feminine finesse.
You tell him to neglect you, lose you, and give you leave.
The scent of your desperation makes my insides heave.
Would that you stopped chasing an unrequited love.
You think the griffin should be pursued by the dove?


When a man then returns your love token,
You claim that he has misspoken. 
He reveals the trappings of his heart,
and in some game, you think he plays a part.
Fie, Helena! 
Do not allow others to tarnish your self-esteem!
And, please, to yourself do not be mean!
A wise man once said, "To thine own self be true."
So, take heed: there is no better you than you. 





So, for those of you who have never read A Midsummer Night's Dream, you've probably guessed it by now, but I will still tell you that Helena is a character with terribly low self-esteem. Though she is well meaning, she relentlessly pursues a man who loves her not. By some stroke of fairy magic, she manages to catch Demetrius's eye. Of course, by this point, she does not believe him when he professes his love (even if we, the audience, realize that it is drug-induced.) Nevertheless, my advice to Helena is to stop measuring herself against other people's standards for her and measure herself against the best that she can be. I do believe this overall message applies to anyone in general. 


Feel free to comment positively. I deal with some rude butt nuggets during the day; I do not need to add cyber critics to my list of parade crashers. Thanks ever so much.