Petal

[Riesa]

Petal
(for Anaïs and Henry)

Her silk confinement,
makeshift bonds unravel,
soft swells pillow slumbering qualms.

He remains furled, astride his empty metal horse.
a warrior of words
booms on dozing shores tempestuous havoc.

Light of sultry Louveciennes beckons,
airy fingers float velvet lyrical enamour.

Descent is certain.

Her terror lies beneath layers of loam,
limbs skeletal now from want of spring,
bent to the frozen air, ice where once flowed fire.
How shall she melt? Soften to such corporeal divinity?

The golden glow of touch shivers like windblown leaves,
breeze once forgotten in the cloud of forgetting
Venus and Bacchus again an incantation.

Honeyed mouths revel, eyes upon glowing eyes
wholly taking them into their dreaming garden’s bloom
beyond waking knowledge.

jeweled half-light
raw with unseen hurting, delectable touch
tiny knives
claw and mark
seared flesh diamond brightness

wake wake

an inconceivably acquiescent prayer, sound seashell echo,
fevered jolting of her brain registers

animal.

bitter pleasure, fresh cut grass,
glazed taut length hipbone sheen.

deeper, through the unnamed sense, a maelstrom of past and future,
spinning wildly, keeping dreams outside of sleep

She takes
from the desk a fountain pen, begins to carve words,
each line drawing minute, glistening red beads,
composing their story on his skin in blood and ink.

[Logos]

It's not often I have the time to really appreciate and absorb a poem here but this is really lovely Riesa; as one who has read much of the diaries and letters between these two authors/lovers I think you've captured much of the dynamics between them--light and dark--raw and refined :)

[Pendragon]

Great! I liked these lines:



The golden glow of touch shivers like windblown leaves,
breeze once forgotten in the cloud of forgetting
Venus and Bacchus again an incantation


http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Smilies/PuppyLove.gif

[jon1jt]

it's quite refreshing to read this ode to duo Anais and Henry who lived as writers once did--through real experience and all its contradictions.

it was tough choice, but i'm with Pen on favorite lines.
terrific poem.

[PrinceMyshkin]

There's too much in this for me to take in all at once, but it deservesre-reading and I hope to give it that. It did feel as if you had entered the skin of one and possibly of both of them.

[Virgil]

I'm in awe. This is fabulous Riesa. This may be the best one you've written. (Of the ones I've seen of course ;)) Line after line are wonderful. I could highlight any part of this and say it's my favorite. I'll just have to go with this:

Honeyed mouths revel, eyes upon glowing eyes
wholly taking them into their dreaming garden’s bloom
beyond waking knowledge.
And this simple little line just hits you like lead: "Descent is certain."

:thumbs_up :thumbs_up :thumbs_up :thumbs_up

[Debrasue]

This poem is amazing, Riesa...but I am especially moved by this last verse...I love it....


She takes
from the desk a fountain pen, begins to carve words,
each line drawing minute, glistening red beads,
composing their story on his skin in blood and ink.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Amazing. I am truly speechless. There is not one line that I don't love. Brilliant.