Before dawn

without a name i cannot be
a namer of things
a second Adam
populating the forest
with antelopes and zebras
nor can I see
the form embodied in the name

my name
stands before me naked
its syllables shivering
looking furtively about
as if called by the wind
a solitary sentinel descried
its lonely sex standing as sign
of primeval identity
the name before the name

words spoken in meditation
wind around past midnight
toll the end of knowledge
and resound darkly from the bottom
of a flask of nepenthe wine
all the lost names

I stir the vague ashes
in the chill dawn wondering
what I should call things

Lucifer

Morning Star from Venusian plane

reverse Prometheus, a god insane

how ever did you rouse their holy ire

did you love a lost humanity

to suffer his profanity

the divine Milton that hypermasculine liar

bearer of light who warms this crazy cold
I salute the dawning glint of gold
your open palm the offering the fire

Consciousness

with knowing
the world is made
each morning the eyes
crack open eggs frying
on the diurnal griddle
I begin again to chew this overheated mass
like the dragon who swallowed the sun

with knowing
naked absurd a compelling vision
I bathe clothe and gird for flight
be warned what watchers there be
you see by my lights
and I will slice off a healthy slab of living fire today
for my fillment

with knowing
the fight begins
I conquer friends
am vanquished in turn
for such a game all struggles pale
mere getting and spending are too much with us
but this poignant joust of love holds
the alchymeic prize

with knowing
all suddenly I fall and fall
who knew this inexorable gravity
could bring my high heroic arc
to scattered gold
ruined feathers scales and bones
and even peace

with knowing
comes the night
cool monolithic cauldron of dreams
churning galaxies and stars
to drown my questing day
where you of body
folded in mysterious complexity
will yet be known

In a moment

Revelation in a blinding moment!
recollected in tranquility
toned down in metaphor
published in virtual form
extinguished in the amnesia
of perfect erasure