Saturday, March 3, 2007

Epilogue for "Perseus"



Sliding, the
snakes twist

glide slowly
on and under

Ships: blind
in dense fog

turning over
each other's

extended gut
chest, limbs

Massive arms
bound as one




Strained the
hip-sheathed
straitjacket

An energy so
concentrated
to open; the

Tongue's tip
on the green
apple's skin

turns inward
...flowering
to the flesh




Bright's the
papered bark
of the birch

Sap of amber
running down
a white limb

Gartersnakes
slip through
pink fingers

Rose tongues
coiled round
copper flame




And she rose
the dentrite
form against
the tongue's

Thigh's jaws
clenching on
cheek's bone
Crush, grind

Gnashing her
circles then
Hammering on
broken teeth




Branch, twig
a camouflage

Hidden under
wet boulders

Outward eyes
shut tightly

Fork cutting
air, stubble

In the cross
of this path

Goddess, god
here conjoin




Tiresias saw
them twining

Parting them
with a stick

God, Goddess
inverted him

Male——female
Female——male

And an inner
sight befell

experience's
black vision




...the snake
engulfed its
whole length

And its jaws
expanding to
their utmost

bore in them
fingers. The
nimble parts

to each task
——to an Eden
we were born




© Dan Goorevitch