The Gods called your name
and the seas turned dark;
the earth quaked with power.
You looked up at Olympus
screaming at the gates;
“What will I become?”
The Gods fell silent, then-
with a thunderous roar replied;
“Who are you now?”
dripping down her fingers,
drops falling to the floor-
outside it’s cold and gray-
green-yellow leaves
a deep green field
the grass turns brown as he walks to her-
“one chance” he says,
“one forever”.
red staining her lips,
the seed crunches in her mouth-
she smiles and the grass turns green again-
outside the leaves are falling-
“one queen” she says,
“one forever”.
she takes his hand-
outside it’s white-
summer looks so beautiful
surrounded by death.
sparks and smoke rise
your freckles connecting
like constellations in the sky
dancing in the shadows
veils and armor fall
beneath the sheet of darkness
we dance in the starlight
lovers of the night
Oh, tell me about forgiveness, love,
How it felt on your palm, how it felt in your mouth,
Because I could never taste it,
Even when I was myself
Oh, tell me about remembrance, love,
Did it start when I dragged your body to the shore? Did it start a thousand lives ago? Me, you, and crazy Brooklyn, and four walls, and only one mattress?
I can’t remember remembering,
I have forgotten how I forgot
Oh, tell me about acceptance, love,
Does it roll easy off your tongue, now?
Do you still look behind your shoulder, are you still scared?
Tell me about the birds, even if we are not birds, do they fly free?
Tell me about the song, tell me about the words we do not sing,
Tell me about the years I missed caged in ice, caged inside my mind,
Caged outside of you
Oh tell me, love, tell me about my body and your body,
How they recognized each other, how they reached for each other,
Our hands, my elbow, your spine,
Tell me about the steel of my arm, tell me it refused to hurt you, tell me,
That my body is not a traitor, that my body is still yours if it isn’t mine,
That my body knows you, in death, in life, and in between
Oh, tell me about return, love,
Tell me about light, how I will see it through the fog,
How I will see you, how you will be waiting for me, how you have been waiting for me,
Weaving patterns and patterns of war into the fabric of the world
How you will be dressed in resilience and strength, and I will undress you,
Tell me about the end of the Odyssey, love,
Tell me the hero returns home, sleeps in his bed, sleeps at your side, planted like a tree beside you, rooted, rooted and alive.
O Icarus of the fearless flight
For the greatest tragedy of them all
Is never to feel the burning light
MYTHIC POETRY series:
But her body had disappeared as dust—such a sad event!
“The Tale of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai” — Unknown
THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story between Liang Shanbo (梁山伯) and Zhu Yingtai (祝英台).
Zhu Yingtai is a beautiful and intelligent young woman, the only daughter of the wealthy Zhu family. Although traditions of that era discourage females from going to school, Yingtai manages to convince her father to allow her to attend classes in disguise as a young man. During her journey, she meets Liang Shanbo, a scholar. They converse, feeling a strong affinity for each other at their first meeting. They study together for the next three years in school and Yingtai gradually falls in love with Shanbo. He fails to notice the feminine characteristics exhibited by his classmate.
One day, Yingtai receives a letter from her father, asking her to return home as soon as possible. Yingtai has no choice but to bid Shanbo farewell. Shanbo accompanies his “sworn brother” for 18 miles to see her off. During the journey, Yingtai hints to Shanbo that she is a woman, but he remains oblivious. Shanbo and Yingtai reluctantly part ways at the Changting pavilion.
Months later, when Shanbo visits Yingtai, he discovers the truth. They become devoted to each other and they make a vow of “till death do us part.” The joy of their reunion is short-lived as Yingtai is already arranged to marry another man. Shanbo is heartbroken when he hears the news and his health gradually deteriorates. Ultimately, he succumbs to death.
On the day of Yingtai’s marriage, mysterious whirlwinds prevent the wedding procession from escorting the bride beyond Shanbo’s grave, which lies along the journey. Yingtai leaves the procession to pay her respects to her former lover. She descends in bitter despair and begs for the grave to open up. Suddenly, the grave opens with a clap of thunder. Without further hesitation, Yingtai throws herself into the grave to join Shanbo. Their spirits turn into a pair of beautiful butterflies and emerge from the grave. They fly away together, never to be separated again.
I.
Zeus could not unmake the webs
of stone that surround me. I have forgotten
the men I used to be; I follow the hated
road of monotonous walls
that is my destiny. Straight galleries
that curl themselves into secret circles
throughout the years. Parapets
cracked by the…