its milky cusps, winking welcome
moods of starry surrender, I was lost
to my reflection rearranged
roughly on the window’s pane.
Don’t take flight yet, you said,
first take the light’s left hand
and keep it from the misbehaving oak,
its frightening reach.
There are beehive-capped angels
swinging there beneath, and they’re angling
to gather moony souls
together in false hope.
Their absent promise is absolute,
and absolution.
They’ll utter their nothings,
utterly sweet, if you let them,
and lull you with their yellow tongues.
Fly away with this light you now hold
and risk the falling.
7 comments:
I agree Francis, what better to celebrate the passing rapture, than with your poem. We always have October 21st. When according to Harold Camping, all things come to an end;)Oy vey!
Pamela
'Lulling with their yellow tongues'
..good point Francis. Sweet words
can often roll off lying tongues.
Like the song of the sirens luring the sailors to crash and splinter on to the rocks.
Sometimes it's hard to resist a really good tune. Block your ears kiddo!
@Pamela Yeah, I'm sure come Oct 21, he'll have a new date ready too. He could always just agree with the Mayan's prediction of Dec. 21, 2012...
@Spidey I'll like to keep the ear canals open wide so other sounds can sneak in and undermine the siren's authority.
Oh Francis, I love this piece. The first stanza captured me so that I had to read it three times before I continued. The rest of the piece does not disappoint. How often we choose to be lulled, or enraptured and let the light of reason slip away.
I often wonder if religious fanatics need their dogma like an addict needs a needle.
There is a seedy underbelly to this piece, but the words flow lovely.
~Brenda
@Brenda Thanks :). I like the addict comparison, and I think it's accurate in many ways.
Francis, so many delight lines and images in this poem, from the reflection "rearranged / roughly" to your delicious word play: utter and utterly and "Their absent promise is absolute, / and absolution." And I love those last two lines.
Richard
Thanks Richard. I try to throw in a little word play as much as I can, without making it sound too precious.
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