1
Traveller

The Traveller Travelleth
Becauth he hath no home

2
Who

Name: Date of Birth:

The first two Hooks
Into innocent Flesh.

If, instead

Unborn

Only Hanging by a tightening Cord
From Womb

Poet forms Itself
Through new
Invented Name
New Birth Rite

30 years of Solitude

And a borrowed Fedora

The new hat sports a white plume

The Carolean coat is lace ruffed

The face is rouged and moustachioed

The breeches swell pleated
Around the thigh to
Highlight silken stockinged calf

The shoes remain, unfortunately, buckled
But the silver matches the sword,
The hilt is bejewelled

And the horse, Stallion
Large white (grey)
Magnificent.

The ugly Puritans,
Locked in round helmets,
Noses pelmeted
Literature expunged

Flee

Press me against you
Like flowers in a book

Sand heap

Eroding

Beyond Sky
The Atmosphere glows
Million souls snake to view

Queen

From Space
Great China Wall
Dragon stone piled long

Soft flesh of England
Mourning

October's nights
lay on us
like wet skin.
Leaves everywhere.
Gold soaked medallions
in the early dark.

We walk the city's
sidewalks.
Shadows hold
daylight under drains,
to be released into
tomorrow.

Dusk now rinses down
foggy wells.  Deep
grays baton the
process.  God's promise
released in a
quotidian embrace.

We go on.
Each to another.
The whiteflash of the
walklight sanctions
movement.

We cross the street,
bridge the evening,
listen to the cafe
music as we pass.
Rainwet faces.
Smiles that dim at
the ends of days.
We kiss.

October's evening
shuffles into night.

O Domine!

Caroline Shank