Two Poems

Michael Hofmann

28.11.2025Poetry

Recent Additions to the Idées Reçues of Flaubert

Leader: scarecrow
Honor: a blank space where one obscurely feels one ought to feel something; the perpetration of
                any particularly heinous scandal or outrage
Beautiful: mine. In some cases: yours but I want it. Gilded
Mine: beautiful, and possibly up for sale. Gilded
Deal: a rip-off. More broadly, any highly unstable provisional arrangement
Democrat: democratic or enemy
Nobel: the pot of golf at the end of the rainbow
Impressive: vulgar, tasteless
Smart: dependably submissive
Family: an archaic organisation of avowedly inferior beings, a power-base
Gold: anything that glitters, one letter away from golf
Golf: the game of kings, one letter away from gold
Failing: of limited distribution, but sinisterly and uncannily accurate
Winning: losing
Re-evaluation of all values: *&2#%+>
Foreign country: real estate
Real estate: q.v. ‘Beautiful’
Don’t know: not telling
Know: have heard tell of
Someone: no one
We: I
You: they
I: anyone at all, it depends
They: run
Gracious: married
Great: quodlibetical, random (a universal qualifier or sprinkle that costs nothing)
American: subject to reassignment
Bad: desperate, starving, without means
Very bad: desperate, starving, without means; additionally, Black or Latin
Patriot: the missile. Also any self-seeking mountebank
Rip-off: an equitable and mutually advantageous arrangement of long standing
African: Afrikaner
Administration: gilt by association
Announcement: axiomatically disappointing and, over time, wholly inconsequential, but remember
             to always watch this space
Handsome: overweight, own hair, in rare exceptional cases, bearded
Tariff: a sales tax
Income tax: an unfair levy on genius businessmen
Important: negligible, ambiguous
Significant: piffling
Egg: obscure item, highly sought after and of great price

*

An Epitaph to the Political Career of Christian Lindner

L. Europe’s leading manufacturer and contractor for the building envelope, interior fit-out and insulation.

L. binders and slipcases, tested and sold hundreds of times and loved by many stamp collectors. L. ring binders exemplify quality, appearance & functionality. L. habitational name for someone from any of numerous places called L., L., L., L. or L.

L. stationary and mobile shredders. L. recycling tech: make the most of waste. L. shredders prepare Brazilian plastics for recycling.

Serial donut eater, Diet Coke addict, chocolate hater, sun-lover.

L. adventure quilter. L. excited to return to the Midwest and the excitement of a sports-hungry college town.

L. tractors. L. American-German artist known for bizarrely erotic portraits which meld human figures with machine-like elements.

L. soft matter, complex fluids, rheology, microfluidics. L. Wash tech.

A toast to the Bears for finally doing the right thing.

L’s long and honored career as an author, host of syndicated radio and TV
fishing shows, video producer, fishing guide, tackle manufacturer. L’s angling edge.

L. Center of HOPE, offering a wide range of mental health services and
treatments in an atmosphere that promotes long-term healing. Center of excellence for treating a wide array of mental disorders ...

L. 690 is a low fat, low protein, higher fiber option, & still fortified for use in show pigs. Leader in the show feed arena in the Southwest. Homepage. Shop our line of products and supplements. If you are human, leave this field.

L. original. L. “assumes responsibility” but doesn’t think of […] etc.

Become a member

Help us become self-sustaining

Sign up to receive exclusive access, discounts, print editions and much more

join now →

We use only essential cookies necessary for site function and rely on a consent-free analytics tool to understand readership, ensuring your privacy is protected and your experience is uninterrupted. Learn more here.