In the City of Art
Page 2
Rather say, “Oh Dear me! My Dear…
Your arrangements must be made
Sit sweet specter... Rest gentle shade.”
Platinum Texas Oil Princess
Lithe limbs of lily willow
Ten tiny tea rose toes
Her pet’s a pearly tortoise
Some porpoise chum behind her tows
Venus and Mars for earrings
Shady hat of Saturn’s rings
That Comet waits outside?
The gold one? It’s her ride
Shy Seraphim ascend
Their feathery pens extend
“Cudja? Wudja? Ya mind?
It’s for my friend”
Après Seurat
Sundials Riding Time’s Glacier
She wore her flat straw hat,
''English school girl,'' it’s called.
A darling blue bow held
her gold hair gathered back.
She there - So fair! So bright!
Poor Sun, much less a light,
delights caress her face,
his precious child embraced.
In gold sun on park’s green grass,
unaware life on was sliding,
dappled we lolled astride time riding,
as other carefree sundials passed.
Shadows inched, climbed, crept
to steep inclines, yet failed
shade’s advance her face-veil,
for her light shone too great.
Carried blithe into life’s twilight,
on time's glacier along we rode.
Rays swept ‘round our sundial faces, tolling
all those golden days to ashen night.
The Ski Lift to Paradise
It lifts me to the rim
of the high, bright, cold, White Mountain.
Then, I must down fly the trail,
wishing all the while
that I might never more descend.
For there wait life’s travails.
Oh to be these trees I envy,
that never care or fear.
Perhaps carved to a Magi?
Posed frozen... hiding here.
Faired all o’er in red – green – paint,
with mad white smile fixed infinite.
Motionless… yet steady skiing
down the cosmic balance beam
of time was and will be,
in the holy, holy, holy
green-tree-line of eternity.
Chance Meeting Among Roses
Why seek Ye rosebuds Miss? …Rather,
be thee the blushing bud gathered,
swept up in arms with gentle might,
wound in black silk sheet night.
Much envy thee will icy starfire
your pyre’s flames of hot desire
Thou dewy bud of burning ruby
petals young brimming honey.
Unfurls heavenly this body thine,
lithe silken stems of alabaster fine.
Recline exalted by lover’s sighs,
while joyous hymns of thee up fly.
For as does incense, too, love’s praise
vault’s high thy beauty’s glory radiant,
a fragrant, flower afore Venus raised.
Gather rosebuds none then…Rather,
Be YE gathered
LONG GRAY MARCH OF REMEMBRANCE
Quarry no stone to set timeless here high.
Spare the sharp report of twenty-one fire.
What stone to the required height ever aspired?
No rifle's crack this ground more glorify.
Rather, bring immortals for monument,
the watch eternal stand erect, silent
and excellent their arms upright present
through endless stripes of days turned night.
Ever must they perfect attend this vault,
valiant defend it from winter’s assault.
For reason will plead the soft spring breezes
sighing “away, cease grieve...let go'' they breathe.
Summer's leaves to swirling umber turn then
comes that sad old friend the cold autumn rain
tapping softly at the gray gloaming pane
begging "surrender... enough... let it end”
Defiant, I whisper "never'' to them…
Come the many seasons till judgment break
all you good and true this oration make.
“Memory from such treason... God forefend"
The Dance At The Lake
On The Fourth
The Bandstand’s many colored lights quaked
out upon the black mirror lake,
as lilac perfumed music spilled,
filling the sultry night so still.
Rockets shot up looming
Ba boom...ba...boom boom ….boom
Tiaras high expand;
on “ohhs and ahhs” descend.
Burst bright gigantic crowns,
then brief away swoon down.
Breathless, we hid from rocket’s glare...
Frail airy tinsel corsairs flared.
Neath sparkling pink, blue, green pastels,
we kissed in water colored shadows pale.
Chumps
All rulers of realms know
how precious is devotion.
So much this currency desired,
lying high and mighty agree,
devotion should pass by decreed,
even Kings make way required.
Having that coin have all,
have not, kingdoms fall.
For ‘tis the what and why
poor fools will faithful die.
Cause good or bad no matter,
for devotion their blood spatters.
First love
Time’s advance for none is stayed.
Desire shall come and wild run.
But first love comes not with fire;
little things little lover’s love require.
Surfeit the endeared just near.
Forfeit Elysium beloved’s voice hear.
To be shady hat, a warm glove on
the sweet afar adored one.
This Paradisium aspired
is all the o’ercome young desire.
A monologue excerpted from the play
“THE CURSE ON THE HOUSE OF GARRICK”
“The Princess Salome Surrenders Her Jerusalem to Alexander the Great”
Lift up thy heads oh ye gates and be ye lifted up!
Down in adoration oh ye walls!
See!...Arrived my Alexander Great So!
Triumphant, he comes at last
for me his bride Jerusalem
Ten thousand banners of gold
fly as flames in his locks
Bid my servant’s tongues beat
and proclaim my groom’s great glory
Behold his bride rejoices!
She awaits her conqueror shining, singing.
Claim me and enter in my Lord
Before such power and great might.
my gates relent and yield as trembling silk
Eager to gain thee, wide they part
and beg you hurry swallowed in.
Your faithful holy city embrace now
Prepared am I for you from the foundations of the world.
Uncover me. Possess me, yours alone, forever.
Keep me joyous ‘neath that right hand,
safe with thy bold rod and staff in my citadel.
Here you shall touch o'er flowing much
my treasures preserved only to you.
Wander among these my high temples.
Caress the fine tabernacle
This altar of ivory lies prostrate before thee.
Oh come to your altar...
Pleasure yourself at its alabaster banquet.
Taste its dewy fruits. Hold it fast.
Lie within the scent
ed sanctuary.
It yearns for its High Priest.
it bids you advance up to the ‘Holy of Holies’
These very stones cry out,
“Oh Great King, plant thy royal fruitful vine
inside these faithful walls…
sow thy fragrant seed
within these perfumed precincts.”
Aflame with adoration's fire,
I am as the burning fertile field
thirsting for rain of your precious self.
Impatient am I for thy shadow
cool upon me under it.
Flood me drenched, quenched.
Make me your warm domain,
Here be ye stayed, ever remained
Come, reign, serene, beloved, entwined in me
Your Jerusalem