The watchful gaze shone down,
and then the blade, deep and swift…
Made even gentle bloodied sunrise,
too terrifying for my eyes

Days in hiding came to nights where,
sleep superfluous, I slept not…
Until I shed that sacrificial skin,
now poisoned, now unholy, now thin

And seeing it no longer as my own,
I marveled at its hoary creeds, barnacles…
Its gruesome rust of well-intentioned lusts,
turned water swift to clinging mud

Now free of age, of sins partaken,
a naked Adam in a sweet garden…
Timeless, weightless, a sanctity of soul,
natural man, new-made, now whole

An empty urn,
the barren bowl,
a vase awaiting
one pregnant rose

A table barren
of knight's tableau,
stools surrounding
in retched repose

An earthen mug,
Pan's pool in spring,
a coin no longer
worth its weight

Each grounded in its
reason, spherically
precluding its sin—
That ringing at the gate

A life-lived-not falters,
yet blindly clings to fate,
blind Themis holds in
balance still, the cup—
She chose too late

What happens the first instant
after our world's end
Is everything still, the pendulum
that lost its surly swing

Does the carven clock sit idle,
not quite enough cuck
to manage one more koo—
But still there’s something left

Or is it a different sort of spring,
not then unwinding fate
But coiling tightly, tighter still
until it snaps, breaks free

Destroys the maker’s hand,
rips down the veil of heaven
And damning every prophet,
sheds wild starlight, wand'ring still

A relic, so I once thought
Then no, I must have come early,
too soon to the party without a gift
But I took breath, reckless,
coughing out the past,
future leaking away wetly
And I knew then I was made this way,
imperfectly perfect for this place,
this universe alone, just now—
Never out of time

When first you baked for me,
I devoured them like a greedy child,
as if it were my birthday,
yet I was lonely at the party
Now just one last sweet morsel remains,
all I can ponder is sharing with you,
taking your hand when you reach for it,
never letting go the touch of angel’s fire
Then I see you aren’t really here to hold,
chance gone, ship sailed, die cast,
another weak metaphor lost in transit,
fickle words betray me once more
Why then does such feeling persist,
even grow, make a deeper vessel to fill,
build bridges, scale mountains,
cross great seas of doubt and regret
Can it simply be to see the other side,
what would have been, our voices joined,
had different scripts been chosen,
brighter worlds explored together
There is no choice, no magic balm,
I must eat the last cookie alone,
tread brazenly my fated path,
watch you walk yours so fiercely,
And roar exultant from the hill

We played the games for weeks on end,
‘cross time and space, with spirits bold
Your spectral teases sparking flames,
and casting thus a spell to hold
You won, yet so did I....
Eschewing 
***** treats for purest gold
My own desire, that you would share
your secret dream, your inner hope

You asked each starry night,
what prize of you I sought
But worry not, I’d only want
what never could be bought
That’s not so much, but maybe, yes—
a moment’s touch, a tender kiss
A boon for one who’d be your knight,
if you’ll dare ride the wild hunt

Your alpha wolf, your eagle king,
your phoenix guarding treasured love
Lust’s a simple charm to banish fear—
fear not my darling, we shall thrive
I saw a vision of my prize, a dream,
of you and me supine on crystal shores
On beaches far, in azure seas we swam,
lovers joined ‘neath countless stars

I lay with you awhile, not long enough,
told fairy tales and kissed your lips
Made love and rolled on golden sand,
then took our leave on ghostly ships
So take my tickets darling, take my heart
so wildly beating, quickly to your breast
I’ll wait for you to turn your gaze on me,
then challenge fate to love you last and best