Be careful, you may, get what you wish for
keep your loathing at bay, lock up your hate
out of its bottle you’ve opened the door
for the genie to act, settle the fates
of rivals and foes to be tortured by fiends
besotted by demons doing your wish,
your rancor will grow the more it is weaned
you’ll never be sated, cold is your dish,
an eye for an eye, will just make you blind
though harder, it’s better, try to be kind
Hieronymus Bosch
Today Grace hosts dVerse poetics with a prompt on using bottles, I thought about the idiom “let the genie out of the bottle” meaning: to create, unleash, or do something that creates a huge impact and cannot be stopped or reversed.
August 22, 2023
Björn Rudbergs writings 
That last couplet ties up everything perfectly.
I tried to make it simple under the constraint of rhyme and meter.
Be careful what you wish for, for you will surely get it. Love the sombre voice: you’ll never be sated, cold is your dish. Ending couplet gives me 2 choices – I’ll try to be kind.
We all try, we all try…
Great pacing and rhythm to this one….and the last couplet sure rings true!
I felt like a little bit of rhyming for once
I once played a genie in a school play, so I was interested to read your ‘Genie in a bottle’, Björn. It must be awful for a spirit to be confined to a bottle, waiting to be set free. There is truth in the lines:
‘besotted by demons doing your wish,
your rancor will grow the more it is weaned
you’ll never be sated, cold is your dish’.
Loved the rhymes, strongly worded. It is playful and fierce at the same time. Wonderfully crafted!
I absolutely love, love this! ❤️❤️ The use of imagery is excellent and I agree with the idea of being kind throughout 🙂
Truth. Some things must be bottled up, to make us less blind, more kind.
Love this!
Pat
A good message for us all… It is easier to be kind than poke ourselves in the eye with hate.
for the genie to act, settle the fates… seems to be what’s happening to the world around us with war and climate and hate…
Nice on Björn
Much💖love
I always love the art you incorporate into your work. Your music choices as well.😉 I agree the last two lines sum everything up quite well.
Your final couplet is a strong message.
A good choice for the image–it works well with your words.
it’s better, try to be kind
We can never tell what the genie may try to do. Let’s not antagonize them.
Hank
Love the rhythm and rhyme of this Björn 🙌
This was a fun read, for me what in the world might I be tortured with next. I really didn’t know, I’ve heard it expressed before and let it pass. I did expect trouble though.
How’s retirement going? I’ve been retired, this August makes for 22 years. And unlike you, we didn’t earn a nickel outside our retirement $$$ and savings. Mrs Jim retired two years before.
Enjoy!!
..
I am between and not yet retired. I am simply getting paid for not working
Uncorking an evil genie from a bottle didn’t occur to me. Love the last line 😄
Thoroughly enjoyed this “word to the wise” forewarning. Bravo.
An excellent and original take on the prompt.
What a great take on the prompt! I also like your word to the wise!
Genies are loosed to requite our three worst, most infantile wishes. Of course they come back to bite us in the keister! Well put Bjorn.
Could be describing current politics.
This is a wonderful response.
Love where you took this prompt, Bjorn! That last couplet is a gem.