ouroboros
and what is love but life and death's fairest illusion?
collaboration with the infinitely talented Manuel Fajar.
he is the italics. (apologies for the length, readers.)

I know I've been a foot soldier trodding,
Interminable miles through mud to Thee,—
I know I've been on horseback scouting plains,
Vast distances to reach that village Thine,—

¿How many lifetimes will Thou take to reach?
Infinity's not large enough for me,—
Far distant planes of time and space I'll trek,
Transform through all of Karma incarnate,

Sit by wood fires and listen to war tales,
To catch a glimpse of where Thy face might be,—
For surely there are rumors of dire wars,
For surely there the men vie for thy hand,—

Sit under phosphorescent flames near sun,
Protected from hot fusion's neutron flux,
Discussing warps through void to reach Thy place,
Final Eden where souls can syzygy.

knight-errants gift me tokens of their love:
blood-stained swords and gold-flax banners—such love!
i do not care for wars fought in my name,
nor for wars fought over beauty's visage;
to keep me in your thoughts is all i ask.

reincarnation holds no truth with me;
i will wait here, within this closed bower
of meteor showers and gypsum gates
and autumnal rubescent maple trees—
o Love, please forgive me my impatience.

the surety of this life prudent seems,
for though the soul would dare embark past death,
no visionary's lens has seen through veils,
that have remained hidden to all man's kind,

& if God grant me but this gold autumn,
wherein the moon revolves showing one face,
therein lies the key to life's mystery,
for in the union of like minds lies Love,
even but a solar flare reaching out.

life is anything but sure; all sureness
lies in death's dark promise, for mortals know
that their only fate is to fade away
into the ouroboros circumscribed
about mortality's conformed figure.

do you think yourself my lock's key, darling--
what else would you be, for i have dreamt sights
of lightless suns and celestial gods
waging battles to bring your song to me.

two primes when multiplied into a key,
encrypt two hearts with mysteries sublime,
¿for what else are man-woman meant to be?
eternally entwined—two giant suns,
binary conflagration of two hearts,

for this binding is no death of their souls,
but enhancement of life's purpose divine,
a sacrament of devotions freely,
given and accepted from two clear minds,—
known acceptance of this promise brings life.

oh, but giant stars burn their lives away
pining for their former youthful glory;
some say it is better to burn alone—
an eternal beacon in the world's spheres,
for their hearts have been seared beyond hope's reach.

to those who hearspeak only of Love's face—
how may i tell you the color, the shade
of her fathomless eyes, if i am blind?
there is only so much i know of Love,
and what i know is deterrent enough.

fusion's furnace lights vast universe's span,
like a heart that red piston hot explodes,
driving energy soul's mechanism,
pulsing or rotating transforming all,
that reaches into its aurora's grasp,
like minds have found their gravity's full pulse,

some silent in void's solitude stand guard,
over repositories of future,
creations for times that someday will be,
shining beads in celestial rosary,
that endless times and stops love's beginnings,

and though monastic i could transform life,
with discipline and rigor commit years,
to rituals devoted to divine,
prophecy and speak of things to be borne,—
yet i believe that love duty enough.

in the center of the black hole, depthless,
lies my love's core, stardust mixing brews of
angel's harp-strings—time's soft apology—
and blood-tinged cherry blossoms, dark crimson
upon the flourishing verdance of spring.

and what would you say, sweet, to those of us
who believe not in love's gentle embrace,
who trust not her ability to tear
our layered mantles and inhibitions
away from the guarded cages of souls?

immanence constrains short life's joys and pains,
ill of heart to think it can tame wild time,
and its enchantments magic sway fate's hand,
events that go past love beyond man's grave,

embers in a red hot fire slowly fade,
gray ashes mark circle residue burnt,
like words and songs piled inciting high flames,
¿was it only dark we needed fire for?