In the City of Art Read online

  Rather say, “Oh Dear me! My Dear…

  Your arrangements must be made

  Sit sweet specter... Rest gentle shade.”

  Platinum Texas Oil Princess

  Lithe limbs of lily willow

  Ten tiny tea rose toes

  Her pet’s a pearly tortoise

  Some porpoise chum behind her tows

  Venus and Mars for earrings

  Shady hat of Saturn’s rings

  That Comet waits outside?

  The gold one? It’s her ride

  Shy Seraphim ascend

  Their feathery pens extend

  “Cudja? Wudja? Ya mind?

  It’s for my friend”

  Après Seurat

  Sundials Riding Time’s Glacier

  She wore her flat straw hat,

  ''English school girl,'' it’s called.

  A darling blue bow held

  her gold hair gathered back.

  She there - So fair! So bright!

  Poor Sun, much less a light,

  delights caress her face,

  his precious child embraced.

  In gold sun on park’s green grass,

  unaware life on was sliding,

  dappled we lolled astride time riding,

  as other carefree sundials passed.

  Shadows inched, climbed, crept

  to steep inclines, yet failed

  shade’s advance her face-veil,

  for her light shone too great.

  Carried blithe into life’s twilight,

  on time's glacier along we rode.

  Rays swept ‘round our sundial faces, tolling

  all those golden days to ashen night.

  The Ski Lift to Paradise

  It lifts me to the rim

  of the high, bright, cold, White Mountain.

  Then, I must down fly the trail,

  wishing all the while

  that I might never more descend.

  For there wait life’s travails.

  Oh to be these trees I envy,

  that never care or fear.

  Perhaps carved to a Magi?

  Posed frozen... hiding here.

  Faired all o’er in red – green – paint,

  with mad white smile fixed infinite.

  Motionless… yet steady skiing

  down the cosmic balance beam

  of time was and will be,

  in the holy, holy, holy

  green-tree-line of eternity.

  Chance Meeting Among Roses

  Why seek Ye rosebuds Miss? …Rather,

  be thee the blushing bud gathered,

  swept up in arms with gentle might,

  wound in black silk sheet night.

  Much envy thee will icy starfire

  your pyre’s flames of hot desire

 

  Thou dewy bud of burning ruby

  petals young brimming honey.

  Unfurls heavenly this body thine,

  lithe silken stems of alabaster fine.

  Recline exalted by lover’s sighs,

  while joyous hymns of thee up fly.

  For as does incense, too, love’s praise

  vault’s high thy beauty’s glory radiant,

  a fragrant, flower afore Venus raised.

  Gather rosebuds none then…Rather,

  Be YE gathered

  LONG GRAY MARCH OF REMEMBRANCE

 

  Quarry no stone to set timeless here high.

  Spare the sharp report of twenty-one fire.

  What stone to the required height ever aspired?

  No rifle's crack this ground more glorify.

  Rather, bring immortals for monument,

  the watch eternal stand erect, silent  

  and excellent their arms upright present

  through endless stripes of days turned night.

  Ever must they perfect attend this vault,

  valiant defend it from winter’s assault.

  For reason will plead the soft spring breezes

  sighing “away, cease grieve...let go'' they breathe.

  Summer's leaves to swirling umber turn then

  comes that sad old friend the cold autumn rain 

  tapping softly at the gray gloaming pane 

  begging "surrender... enough... let it end”

  Defiant, I whisper "never'' to them…

  Come the many seasons till judgment break

  all you good and true this oration make.

  “Memory from such treason...  God forefend"

  The Dance At The Lake

  On The Fourth

  The Bandstand’s many colored lights quaked

  out upon the black mirror lake,

  as lilac perfumed music spilled,

  filling the sultry night so still.

  Rockets shot up looming

  Ba boom...ba...boom boom ….boom

  Tiaras high expand;

  on “ohhs and ahhs” descend.

  Burst bright gigantic crowns,

  then brief away swoon down.

  Breathless, we hid from rocket’s glare...

  Frail airy tinsel corsairs flared.

  Neath sparkling pink, blue, green pastels,

  we kissed in water colored shadows pale.

  Chumps

  All rulers of realms know

  how precious is devotion.

  So much this currency desired,

  lying high and mighty agree,

  devotion should pass by decreed,

  even Kings make way required.

  Having that coin have all,

  have not, kingdoms fall.

  For ‘tis the what and why

  poor fools will faithful die.

  Cause good or bad no matter,

  for devotion their blood spatters.

  First love

  Time’s advance for none is stayed.

  Desire shall come and wild run.

  But first love comes not with fire;

  little things little lover’s love require.

  Surfeit the endeared just near.

  Forfeit Elysium beloved’s voice hear.

  To be shady hat, a warm glove on

  the sweet afar adored one.

  This Paradisium aspired

  is all the o’ercome young desire.

  A monologue excerpted from the play

  “THE CURSE ON THE HOUSE OF GARRICK”

  “The Princess Salome Surrenders Her Jerusalem to Alexander the Great”

  Lift up thy heads oh ye gates and be ye lifted up!

  Down in adoration oh ye walls!

  See!...Arrived my Alexander Great So!

  Triumphant, he comes at last

  for me his bride Jerusalem

  Ten thousand banners of gold

  fly as flames in his locks

  Bid my servant’s tongues beat

  and proclaim my groom’s great glory

  Behold his bride rejoices!

  She awaits her conqueror shining, singing.

  Claim me and enter in my Lord

  Before such power and great might.

  my gates relent and yield as trembling silk

  Eager to gain thee, wide they part

  and beg you hurry swallowed in.

  Your faithful holy city embrace now

  Prepared am I for you from the foundations of the world.

  Uncover me. Possess me, yours alone, forever.

  Keep me joyous ‘neath that right hand,

  safe with thy bold rod and staff in my citadel.

  Here you shall touch o'er flowing much

  my treasures preserved only to you.

  Wander among these my high temples.

  Caress the fine tabernacle

  This altar of ivory lies prostrate before thee.

  Oh come to your altar...

  Pleasure yourself at its alabaster banquet.

  Taste its dewy fruits. Hold it fast.

  Lie within the scent
ed sanctuary.

  It yearns for its High Priest.

  it bids you advance up to the ‘Holy of Holies’

  These very stones cry out,

  “Oh Great King, plant thy royal fruitful vine

  inside these faithful walls…

  sow thy fragrant seed

  within these perfumed precincts.”

  Aflame with adoration's fire,

  I am as the burning fertile field

  thirsting for rain of your precious self.

  Impatient am I for thy shadow

  cool upon me under it.

  Flood me drenched, quenched.

  Make me your warm domain,

  Here be ye stayed, ever remained

  Come, reign, serene, beloved, entwined in me

  Your Jerusalem