“Ozymandias” Meets “Casey at the Bat”
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Sandville One that day.
The boundless, barren, lone, and level sands stretched far away.
The traveler who’d tell the tale now gazed on it alone.
A king’s cracked visage lay beside vast, trunkless legs of stone.
His name was Ozymandias, a name of great renown;
Upon his monumental visage glared a potent frown;
A wrinkle curled his lip; he wore a sneer of cold command,
Asserting the calm certainty that he would always stand.
Oh, somewhere in this antique land the sun is shining fair;
Great Works that tower somewhere cause the Mighty to despair;
And somewhere there is more than pedestals and sand about;
But the King of Kings is joyless—mighty Ozy has struck out.
Max Gutmann has contributed to dozens of publications, including Lighten Up Online,New Statesman, Cricket, and Light. His plays have appeared throughout the U.S. and have been well-reviewed (see maxgutmann.com). His book There Was a Young Girl from Verona sold several copies.