I THRIVE
IN THE DARK
BESIDE MY SHADOW
WHICH I CANNOT SEE
INTENT WITH INTENSE VERBOSITY; VERBOSELY INTENSE INTENTIONALLY.
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
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
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
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
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 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