Published on: 2/6/2016
Character Sketches Drawn from Dark Archives

Unnecessary Toughness

With all the courage he could muster
He stood against his fierce attackers,
but their assault was hollow bluster
Because they lacked financial backers.

Excessively Process-Oriented

Though much admired for her tenacity
In matters bearing on the goals she's set,
She doesn't have a true capacity
For understanding when her goals are met.

Pound-Foolish

A penny saved might be a penny earned,
But nasty habits beg to be unlearned:
He dined on kitchen scraps and lived in squalor,
A lifestyle worth but pennies on the dollar.

Lack of Concentration

Black tea infused with bergamot
Is widely known as Earl Grey.
She drank some early and forgot
This was her Lapsang Souchong day.

Empty Hope

Some jobs exist for which advanced degrees
From universities are requisite.
A middling student got down on his knees
And prayed his prayers would be of benefit.

Missing the Point

She laughed because she thought a sense of humor
Required that she must laugh at everything.
She cried because she once had heard a rumor
That raw emotion earns a wedding ring.

Trying Too Hard

In haste to bypass Purgatory,
He goes to Hell instead of Heaven.
Each mortal sin augments his story
Line. Count them—there are more than seven.

Fictive Artifacts

The plan we settled on was artifice,
So pure and simple that it assayed real.
I wish I were not taking part in this,
But in the end, you know, a deal's a deal.