Seaside Graveyard, Orkney Isle

Wilhelm Kotarbiński (Polish, 1849-1921)

Crowning the Poet, 1881

Women

Soft fair Roman women weave peonies and roses

Into fragrant crowns in the mild morning

To rest upon the marble brows of venerated poets filling villa courtyards with polite chatter

Receding deep within shadowy villas only when confronted by midday sun

Keeping alters to old gods keeping secrets bearing sons bearing daughters.

Long dead fictions with soft brush marks and heavy gold frames

These are the women who turn up in the Victorian Paintings contemplated in galleries on Sunday Afternoon

-Skye

Image Source: Mykukla

Defining Cleopatra

Glory of her father Princess Goddess who loves her father Pharaoh Mistress of Caesar Whore Eternal love of Marc Antony Beloved Enemy of Octavian Foe

Framed by the men in your life You are seen most clearly in the Cobra you pressed to Your breast To escape them.

-Skye

Only Words

Come with your dark ink scrawling loose letters

The loops and runs make knots that hold me fast

While you take everything leaving only notes

Slinking off to exploit the spoils

Of my ruined skin.

-Skye

      HAIKU

Partly Sunny

Cat crosses the road The sidewalk is sunny there What about Chicken?

-skye

Source: Frank "Silvers" Oakley, photograph from 1904

Frank “Silvers” Oakley, 1904

Frank the camera caught you slightly crumpled

the makeup peeling away in places so, one could almost see you

It must have been after the game all the indians had certainly left the field

Your eyes tired no cheerful play upon the cherry paint of your mouth

When the photographer smiled and ducked under the dark cloth

Did you notice the flash powder flare smoke and POP

Or were you wishing you could just play ball.

-Skye

Bioluminescence by janey-jane on DeviantArt

Source: deviantart.com

Milky Way

Hera

There is an old story of you Concerning one of the many slights Heaped upon you By that husband of yours

Cavorting with the mortals Sowing seeds in the dirt

Proudly he loved those mud children To your face

Once he even pressed one of his Bastards to your breast To feast upon you

You pulled away Your goddess milk spraying across the heavens New rivers of stars tangling in your hair

-Skye

Eleionomae

Down by the water heavy with silt and frogs the quick green eyes follow you

The mud’s daughter Lingering among the reeds The winsome whispers keep you near

Old as the bayou gator   Hungry too Reaching out for you

A finger dipped Framing the lovely face in ripples Moments before you break the water.  

-Skye

Image: “Horizons” by Armando Veve   Source: Inland-delta

Viridius

Vigorous with damp And rot Life comes through me

Even yours

Come to the water’s edge And throw in Your virgin

Death and Life Life and Death

Seasons and circles Moon coming and going

Men tremble and fear

Crops fail to come Babies sicken and die Game is spare And the winter long

Men see little

Know less Than I

Come to the water’s edge And throw in Your virgin

Worship how you will It makes no difference to me.

-Skye

Photo Credit: Crowd By Misha Gordin Source: Fallowstore

One of the Crowd

Hauling One rough beam after another Head down Looking neither Right Or Left

Hearing the scrape of worn shoes Hearing the effort in ragged breath

But seeing nothing

Moving together Compliant Silent Complicit

Building a pyre To end the world.

Photograph: Desolata by Vigano Alessandro Source: Fallowstore

Purgatory

Cloaked in the weight of human shortcomings The regrets you carry with you Are not the currency of the ferry man

Death does not release you from your debts Shuffle along with the masses Through the vast grey nothing You have miles and miles to go.

-Skye