from Arranging Nature

Paul Naylor — Sun, 01 Jun 2003 16:00:09 +0000

1

Darkrise
deep song,
sunder uncut
phrase and page,
bedecked golden life
and godlike beings flutter;
windlash broken beneath
each eyesnarled heart,
each ensnared shape
trembles beside
fear lurking
larkstar.

2

Birdword lament,
broken scriptsite song,
feel veer reverse
in soft sleep tumble
limbseed release
lingers after idle care.

Leaves flee from trees,
breathless bears
bones to sudden shore,
unseen caress of
soul crossed sense stolen
and staggers on.

Lashdanced ear,
spurred eyestalk sight,
parted peace
of evanescent weight,
winebound bier
awaits its scent of flesh.

Nothing simpler than
power undone,
empty threat abandoned,
burning bone
on marrow skin shield,
thriving tongue.

3

Thymeless tempting eye
stirs ear and blood
becomes force.
Jumbled
warmth
of breathbeat,
heart sweeps wide
and mingles myrrh with

each enraptured word
taken by eternity.
Flickering leaf
quivers
in calm
air like quiet
anonymous lies
told toward archaic bliss.

4

Denied the soul diffused,
the whole dazzled
distress clings to slender
thread, thistledown
trapped in a spider’s web.

When fettered by final design,
cold chill of mirthless
world remains an untold tale,
a windtossed dirge
of torn and scattered leaves.

But song struck from flint
of fleeting time
inflames each word secure
in mind’s ripe eye,
attuned to heartsharp ear.

A weed’s reward, he said;
a good omen greets
a flower’s return in Spring,
a thing seen as light
eclipsed by shadow’s edge.

5

Thin
reed
sings

wind
whisks
away

body
blind
soul.

6

Sheltered
song larkspur
listens

lapsed
bitterroot reason
hesitates

to say
windshaken
whole
in
a gust of old
skin.

7

Broken soul
of force
fed on desire —

which hawk swoops
to doveless
trembling death?

Sullen stalkseed
reprive
of weltered sky —

which cloud carries
the bolt
that burns the tree?

Death stalks love’s
heedless
reprive of hope —

stammering soul
swoops
to stunned reply.

8

So whose violent
brood decries
thought as flight?

And whose foolish
heart denies
a flower its end?

I have none but
scuffling lines
in lieu of truth,

in place of power
left at last
to mortal spoils —

a surge of words
alert to lies
everlasting as

eternity decrees
an untamed
life breaks free.

9

Stricken
song begins in
strife

gnaws
hollow reason
away

leaves
all that’s left
broken

bones
picked apart by
time.

10

No
other
life

but
this
grows

old
and
stiff.

11

If nature never refused
any resentment
rings true in whose
heart fear
rankles far and wide,

and if birds and beasts
bereft of soul
hold no consolation but
honey and balm,
forgotten sundrenched rise,

then grief’s crushing curve
returns to earth
our happy home begets no
joy despite each
parched swirl of verse,

nor lamenting bitter never
to come but coddled
starspilled night awakes
another sudden
day a new one says I.

12

And raised eyes skyward
to rebuke sorrow so
benign becomes
hateful spite
of life in
defense of which
none should under
stand all unrequited

signs as laurel leaves
given to rifled light
or darkest line
released
and recoiled
from easy scorn
craves what’s not
more than what may be.

13

May those who
loom with stark tales
of torment told
to control any soul
stranded on
ways without heart

burn limbsplayed
in their own
bad dreams undying
empty minds
fleecing those who
strive for life.

But when power
unmasked becomes
power undone;
when, laid flat by love,
one overcomes
dispair and wanders

willingly without shame
or fear, finding
pain true as beauty,
then no image
awaits everlasting
dread to come.

14

Entangled
earth verse,
vexed of forever,
fashioned of matter
both body and soul means
to end in unmeasured death;
recompose us as embryonic
starroot, severed from
every beginning not
seized by gravity is
saved by life’s
pyrelight.

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from Arranging Nature