𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘳.

𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯,
𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.

𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦.
𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩,
𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥,
𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.

I wish I had an arrow to befriend
A slender beauty with veinlets etched
in gold
In which tales flowed
of battles unresolved— songs of wars
that it had never fought
Bearing a blade forged from flames
envied by the crescent that rips its way
through the dark

I would choose it out the nameless others
patient in the quiver
and show it off to the winds
Watch the sly sun kiss it’s carvings
her nimble fingers swirling about
—it’s rich purple sepals
and their unwavering grace
I would let it touch the worn-out bow
that, voiceless, had words to scream
in vales, and in dens

levelling its fletching with the callous string
I would pull
— oh, moors ahed, and moors behind
moors beneath, and all inside—
It’s unblemished tip smirking up the yonder
Slaying all voids in the way
— oh, born an icy weapon
unborn still
I wish I had an arrow to befriend

I would let free the trapped string
impatient, always, to flea
and watch the moon lurking beneath the day
Watch him brutal,
— watch him cold
As if expecting lightening to
sprout out of my eyes
Utter a silent curse I would
Knowing I could not add to his bruises

I would feel a star burning
by the edge of my eye
My bird soaring towards its doom
and into the moors,
I would sublime
—

I close my eyes against the sun
grasping
for the bright of my blood
that lurks, lurks
beneath the shadows
of my gaze—

grasping,
and grasping still—

I wish I had an arrow to befriend