Showman

A young dawn
A whiff of the salt spray
and a happy birdsong met under a tree
and became me

but the tamer was near


I felt him grow in the twin tulips that refused

to lift their heads and grew full of sorrow

Their stems gave out a stench

From blossoms to hags, they went

I hung on
to the edge of the sky

wedging a wave between my feet

grasping at a moon beam
never breathing out my scent
nor breathing in, his poison
and drank from the last floating, furtive cloud



The tamer, an old hand, a dream catcher

threw a bell jar over the elements

and I was caught



A slow reverse tango
Freedom aged
choked by the concentrated blue and salt

scorched by bitter moonlight
throttled by the trapped fluff



Showman

"Wings for tail" He chants the mantra

backwards now. Cold glass hits me.

You have coffee

Your clapping

like leaping flames

licks at my wizened ears