Saturday, January 9, 2016

Plato


Thank you
for not including us in
your revolutionary city project
for not letting us play a tune
recite poetry
or prose
write a line
utter an alphabetical letter
or even breathe

Thank you
for not permitting us to build a home 
open a store
till the land
grow wheat olives willows
or roses

Thank you
for not granting us membership in
the Republican Party
for not allowing poets to open
an account
in the bank of your great state
or become members in your exclusive club
of the rational

Thank you
for sentencing us to exile
contrary to poets' rights...
And so we came out  
narrating and imitating
that we may not dry in that painting
within your walls
Thank you...


The Soldier



At snail’s pace
he strolled towards the other kingdom
leaving behind
two hollow eyes
goggling 
in dismay
at a gang of vicious beaks
banging and clanging
until they cracked
the curved bone
and went picking at the
wet
white

brain 

rain


listen sweetheart!
listen!
outside the rain
whinnies out loud
as it pummels the little hill 
and rests a while
then gently... gently penetrates
the soggy soft soil

hear the blossoms on the cherry tree

moaning with pain  

Eve


O our great grandmother!  
You, who were our original sin!
If you were just a rib
that Adam was robbed of
while he was
slumbering
or drunken
whence have you brought those cunning eyes
that dispossessed Adam of his power
liberated him
and us

from the luxury of paradise 

Adam


They say...
O Adam, when you came
out of the clay,
so lonely were you
with innocent eyes,
with innocent lips,
and innocent mind
heart
and sperm,
that you knew not
but pulses of fear
shaking your ribs

... that you took shelter in a cave
within 
the jungle’s womb
to flee from your own heartbeats 

They also say ...
that once while your mind was wandering 
a ghost or phantom
from the land of the jinn
revealed itself in a woman’s body

They say
she broke open your door
played with your head
seduced you
that since she poured in your
thirsty mouth
the nectar of desire
from her lips
forests of apples
have grown out of your ribs

They say... that since then  
you’ve been staying awake all night
like lovers
dreaming the dreams of lovers

... that you’ve
become bold of eyes
bold of lips
bold of mind
heart
sperm

They say ...
that since you stumbled upon her breasts
and tasted the jinn’s milk,
poetry has flown
out of your mouth
and since then 
you’ve been crowned Prince of Poets