NOT IN THE LIGHTEST

I THRIVE 

IN THE DARK

BESIDE MY SHADOW

WHICH I CANNOT SEE

THUS NAÏVELY

FOR MATTERS OF LIFE AND ITS CESSATION A PLAY ON WORDS

OUGHT NOT BE TRIALLED

HOW MANY A MINE DOES IT TAKE TO ERADICATE

FOR ALWAYS

THE DARKNESS OF THE MIND

EVISCERATE PLEASE

THE OBLIVIOUS PORTION OF THE BRAIN

WHERE THUS IT REIGNS

COMPASSION IS THE RAREST QUALITY TO COME BY ETERNALLY

IN WARRIORS

EVERY WAKING MOMENT

IN A WAR 

IS WASTEFULLY SPENT

THAT IS WAGED

WHETHER WITH CASUALTY

OR WITHOUT

IS A WAR INTRINSICALLY EVIL OR IS IT ONE’S PARTICIPATION IN IT THAT RENDERS IT SO

AN EXECUTION OF MASS EXTINCTION

WHETHER BEYOND THE HARVEST OF LABORIOUS THOUGHT

OR WITHIN

PER INTENT

WHOLLY IS

THE MOULD ON ONE’S TONGUE

EVER GROWING

WHICH EAGER TO DRAW THE CARNAGE OF THE ADVERSARY

BLEEDS ITSELF A LONER

BEFORE A BATTLE DONE

COULD EVEN

COMMENCE EVER

THE AUDACITY OF RAGING EGO

PROVOKED BY DECEIT

WHEN IT DOES SUCCEED

SPRUCES THE QUARRY 

TO ONE’S VICTORY

WHICH INTANGIBLE

IT FLOWS

AS WHOLESOME AN ENTITY

THE TRAPPINGS OF WATERFALLS

BOASTFULLY THE ORATOR DULY PLEADS THROUGH ANECDOTAL ACCOUNT 

RECITATIONS OF ENTITLED BRAG

GLORIFY

AND THEREFORE EMPHASISE

THE DEFEAT

OF ALL THOSE

WITHOUT GLORY

AND THE GORE THEREOF

TO BE FROWNED UPON

WAR IS BY NO MEANS AN ART FORM

FOR THERE IS ENJOYMENT TO BE HAD IN THE LATTER

THAT WAR DOES NOT

GROTESQUE MISFORTUNE NOT SO UNFORTUNATE

IN EIGHT YEARS SHY OF A CENTURY

THE INCOMPARABLE 

GRANDIOSE TREE 

HAD GROWN SO MUCH

ONLY FOR ITS BRANCHES

TO CULTIVATE AND GERMINATE

THEIR OWN DISEASE

YET 

STRIPPED 

BARE

STILL

THE TREE STOOD

BETTER OFF

THE FOUNTAIN

SO WHAT IF I AM POOR

IN THIS DARK AND BRIGHT BIPOLAR WORLD

WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF MY FATE

ARE MY TRAGEDIES THE TRIUMPHS AND VICTORIES OF THEIR INSTRUMENTS

BECAUSE OF EXQUISITE METALS GLISTENING 

WIELDED SHORT OF CAUTION

IT IS APPARENT                                                                               

IN ALL PROCEEDINGS

I HAVE BEEN PLOUGHED INTO

THE DOINGS

OF MY MIGHTY INJURIES 

THESE THAT ARE AS GREAT

AS THEY CAN BE

THE NIB THAT BLEEDS BETWEEN ATROCIOUS 

FINGERS

THEIRS

IN THEIR GRASP

I, WHO HAVE DIED SEVEN TIMES SINCE YESTERDAY

WHOSE ULTIMATE DEATH IS DAWNING

OUGHT NOT TO BE 

WHO THEY EXPECT OF ME

AND IF BY INCIDENCE

THAT SHOULD BE WHO THEY DESPISE THEN SO BE IT

HOWEVER DREADFUL

ONE CONDOLENCE SHOULD SUFFICE

AGAINST THE FOREST

I, THE LIFELESS STAG, ON HORSEBACK RIDING

AIMLESSLY

I AM CEASELESS 

AN OUTPOURING

IF I MUST

BLEED THE NILE

I MIGHT AS WELL

IN WHICH INSIGNIFICANCE DARES NOT DWELL

NOR CAST 

ITS SHADOW

UPON THE ENDLESS STRETCH

A PROCESS PENDING CENTURIES

WHEREIN THEIR LIMBS MAY SOAK NOW

AND BE FREE, FINALLY, OF THEIR SINS’ SATIRE 

HAVING PENNED UNCALLED-FOR COMEDY

WHEREBY I MYSELF THE PROTAGONIST HAVE ASSUMED THE ROLE OF SCAPEGOAT

AT CASTINGS SUBSEQUENTLY 

IF BY UPRISING EVEN

SAY TO THEM: 

IF I AM HE

IF IT ISN’T HE WHO ABANDONS HIS DREAMS

IT IS NOT HIM

THAT IS NOT ME

DEFICIENCIES: THE UNFORTIFIED AND INEVITABLE RESURGENCE OF

OF ALL THE SEASONS THAT GRASP THE EVOLVING EARTH

THAT INFLICT THEMSELVES

UPON

THE REVOLVING SPHERE AN OVERARCHING BLUE THAT FLOATS IN SPACE

IF ONE WERE ONE

ARGUABLY IT WOULD MOST PROBABLY PLAUSIBLY BE:

AUTUMN

DISCHARGED FROM MONSTROUS CANOPIES  

ABUNDANTLY GOLDEN

FOR THERE IS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE

ABUNDANTLY SAFFRON

THAT EXHIBIT DEATH AND DYING

ABUNDANTLY BLOODY

THE EXCREMENT OF BEING

QUITE AS CLEARLY

 

ONE SAW

FROM ALL THE TREES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN

A WEEPING WILLOW

BRANCH BY BRANCH

HANGING THEMSELVES FEROCIOUSLY LOW

SWEEPING CARPETS OF CONCRETE AND GRASS

UPON WHICH FOOTPRINTS MAY BE EMBEDDED

IF NOT RENDERED RELENTLESSLY IRRELEVANT

NEVERTHELESS EVOKES THE RECOLLECTION OF A ONCE-WAS ACCOMPLICE

WITH A FACE ETERNALLY

FRAUGHT BY THE POMPOUS FATIGUE 

OF DISEASED PROPORTIONS

AN EARTHLY HOST WHEREFROM SENSATIONS OOZE

CONJURES THEREBY THE DISTINCTION OF A MASTER

WHOSE WORKS ARE MUSEUM HUNG

 

WITHIN AN ORCHESTRA

OF ALL THE INSTRUMENTS 

BESIDES, PERHAPS, A HARMONICA

NOTHING WAILS QUITE AS VIOLENTLY AS A VIOLIN

WHOSE DURABLE LIMBS WHICHEVER INDIFFERENT OR UNYIELDING

IRREGARDLESS THEREIN ATTENTIVE EARS

INVOLUNTARY OR OTHERWISE

SHALL BICKER INTENSELY

UNTIL A QUARREL ARISES

WHAT SPECIFIC OCCASION WARRANTS A VIOLIN

THAT ALL OCCASIONS SHOULD NOT

HOW COME IT HAS NEVER BEEN DISCLOSED

MUSIC IS THE MOST IMPORTANT 

SCENERY

MUSIC IS ITS OWN SCENERY

 

OF ALL THEIR VARIETY

AN ASSORTMENT 

OF FLOWERS – NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR WEEDS – IS NEVER RANDOM

IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES 

DO FLOWERS RESENT 

BEING UPROOTED

THEN ALLOTTED

IN INSUFFERABLE ORIENTATIONS

WITHIN AUTOCRATIC PRESCRIPTIONS

WEDGED ABOUT 

TO SUCH EXTREMES

THAT THEY CRINGE IN AGONY

THAT THIS WILTING – OF NATURE’S DECAY – AT THE HANDS OF MAN

IS INDICATIVE OF BUT

MORTALITY’S CATASTROPHE

SURPRISE DELIVERY

BLOOM SO ABRUPTLY

A FIREWORK DISTILLED

INTO A BOUQUET

UNFURLING CHAOS

CONSEQUENTIALLY ON CUE

MADNESS IN COLOURS

ASSERTIVELY VIBRANT

JUXTAPOSED AGAINST 

ONE’S MOOD

ONE POLLEN-COATED TENTACLE

FORLORN FROM THE POTENTIAL OF A THOUSAND

MORE

A TENTATIVE NEST

FREED AMONGST THE ATMOSPHERE

AS PALE AS A BLOATED CLOUD

IMPATIENTLY

A POOL ANTICIPATES DISCHARGE

OF ITSELF

LURES

LIKELY ONLY

THE APPETITE

BELONGING TO THAT 

BUZZING OR CHIRPING

SINGING OR CURSING

BE IT MAY

WHATEVER 

LONGING TO BE QUENCHED

UNTIL A STOMACH

BECOMING A VASE

INCLINED TO CRACK

AT ONCE ERUPTS 

A COLOURFUL PARASITE 

ASCENDS IN ILLUMINATION OF

THE SLEEPING SKY

THE END

THE FISH IN THE POND

FEROCIOUS

AND HARMLESS

PURE OF HEART

IS PUNISHED BY ITS OWN 

OBLIVION

BUT PLEADING 

IT SHALL NOT

FOR EVEN IF 

IT SHOULD BLEED

NOT AS A BEGGAR

IT WOULD HAVE BLED