A Glass, Darkly

A GLASS, DARKLY

It so happens that
true hearts, their bleaker parts,
those garnet gleams of dreams,
they mark us,
turn-to-dark us.

Where emeralds once, now smoky mass,
and in this tangled, grim morass
I wonder as I wander,
ponder as I pander to the
dissolute meanderings of a mind diseased,
a thing on its knees,
so please . . .
please.

Allow me to elaborate:
a spec-te-ral entanglement,
aberrant entertain-y-ment,
where what's within the brain is
plain at odds with what we claim.

I'm told our actions speak much louder
—do they, though? It's cloud on cloud here,
crystal shards in eyes deceived.
Curse the imp's cracked vanity!
My vision's through a glass, darkly.

Wickerman

WICKERMAN

limb of straw and twig and twine
hollow man, athirst for skin, a-
trem-bl-ing along its spine
sruthán le fuil agus tine

beast, bird, body inauspicious
flesh frenetic caged and pinned, a
banquet for the gods lubricious
sruthán le fuil agus tine

wail and wimper man of wicker
sacrifice what's deep within, a
pagan faith and flame a flicker
sruthán le fuil agus tine

limb of straw and twig and twine
sruthán le fuil agus tine

Greek Chorus

GREEK CHORUS

God from the instrument--valentine dactylic!
Fate in its Greek chorus tells of the idyllic.

Triplicate faces and serpentine veneries,
homage to odysseys, clandestine prophecies.

Thebes! Oh my extant, this plague exalts eagerness.
Pearlescent white-hot--the core of our wine-dark seas.

Stirrings where none should be, penance for revelries . . .
Sever the verse that determines the hero's course!

Pennate, the winged dash to bits on the precipice.
Cold Amphitrite cares naught for my tragedy.

 

The Women in the Woods

THE WOMEN IN THE WOODS

out in the woods, out in the water
out in the woods, out in the water
take us down to the ghosts of our daughters
sticks and stones bring the lamb to the slaughter
out in the woods tonight

under the moon, under the stars
under the moon, under the stars
sister sightless taking what's ours
bones are breaking opening scars
under the moon tonight

friend to the worm, friend to the raven
friend to the worm, friend to the raven
skull and soul and flesh of the craven
on the knoll their sorrows are graven
friend to the worm tonight

tell it to the wind, tell it to the wild
tell it to the wind, tell it to the wild
now's the hour we bring home a new child
swift devour the pure and beguiled
tell it to the wind tonight

A Love Poem

A LOVE POEM

the tiger stalks in bars of orange

and crimson tongue

razors push through gum 

sinew thick and dumb

he’s numb,

at least to your appeal

glister red inside your head

and organs plump

it’s instinct, no offense

he makes no recompense

just sense

to him, you are a meal

sweet entrails wrap a smitten heart

two bloods turn one

so jaw engulf your head

and grind the bone to dead

sweetbread

most primal love ideal