Two Poems
Barbara Cully
The ceaseless turning
…has ended in flowers.
--Pablo Neruda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My cup my knight my crow my love
this prosey tale is dreaming.
*
This cup my knight my crow my love
the return of the animal to the mineral.
*
This cup my knight my crow my love
zero over my zero,
fossil etched,
were I not loved.
*
This cup my knight my crow my love
spoken as
this wheel as ache
and prayed for once.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
you have it
near at hands,
earth-urn,
as what you
but love.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
whilst
you let it tilt,
global
lessed
you did hear it mown
leafy let fall
as one put turning.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
leafy let fall
dissed not
joke knot
of ceaseless
what…
it audible,
it turning.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
words in sutures
where once was put,
as once in-toned,
spike of want…
you spoke it
singing.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
leafy let curve
this ashen orchard mound
ghost garland grove…
and morn
it misting.
*
My cup my knight my crow my love
desist
less
at heart end
and bloom
he said
it turning.
What is in between
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remains wet
Girl-like, abashed
And constantly exposed to degradation.
Ramona, Brunhilde,
Shut softly
Your watery eyes.
*
Knifed now
What is in between
Sinuously curved
Legs and arms
As wreath of…
Nest of…
*
Shulamith,
Giving up the sweet business
Of creation
Cut now in the road-strewn
Saw-strewn
Sinew-tangled crevasse
Where some dark shape moves away the veil of
Our dark spirit.
*
Jelly-sweet
Gap where
(and insects)
In the forest flamed and looming
Such I saw
Such I woke.
*
Her delicate opened thorax
Once shrill…
And what is in between
Ash-quiet lung
Constantly heaving
…soft watery eye.
*
Come now…come now
Tracks furrow away
Twisted and fed
As a song softly
To the minutes we're in.