Fyodor

Cherry

By luigi_pagano

Sun, 30 Jul 2017
  • 2568 reads
10 comments
 
Up until now my lips have been sealed,
(I was embarrassed to speak the truth)
but now the secret must be revealed:
what I have written is not my own work.
 
I put pen to paper and waited in vain
for the inspiration to come to my aid
then a kind soul who witnessed my pain
suggested to me the perfect solution.
 
A ghost writer by the name of Fyodor
Mikhailovich appeared late at night
coming straight through the study door
and telling me that I should not worry.
 
He said, “Lack of ideas is not a crime,
so there is no need to punish yourself.
To achieve fame there’s plenty of time
so let consider an alternative scheme.
 
I am established and quite well known
so I’m not seeking to enhance my name
but I have seeds that need to be sown;
unpublished poetry and prose galore.”
 
Then I was assured by this kind ghost
that it would not be outright plagiarism
as I would merely be acting as  a host
receiving donations from a fellow guest.
 
Yet this material could become garbage:
he gives me texts in Cyrillic characters
that I have to translate into our language
so to some extent the work is half mine.
 
© Luigi Pagano 2017
 
The image by Vasily Perov is in the public domain (Wikimedia)
Certificate U
Poetry Monthly
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Comments

Submitted by celticman on

your secret is safe fyodor, there's no crime without cosmic punishment. 

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Not now that it is out of the bag. smiley

 

Submitted by maisie on

its totally karma.  so he expects the same back!

maisie angel Guess what?  I'm still alive!

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

It is not a question of quid pro quo, Maisie. He does it from the goodness of his heart. wink

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

You got Fyodor.  I'd probably get William McGonagall.  

Very enjoyable, Luigi!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Thanks, Jane. Mind you, how many writers get as many mentions as McGonagall?

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Interesting idea .. just as a thought .. "what I have written is not my own work".. Theoretically I can now go on and reproduce this work again, verbatim? It's a bit tricky actually.

:-) Tom

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Theoretically, yes.cool

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

The idea is correct as logic. You could use an argument by the principle of mathematical induction, but a method of reasoning then of rather recursion not iteration?

Will the idea work in practice? What are the legal considerations?

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

I appreciate your analysis, thank you. yes