Abdication

You turned

And pulled the veil across your face

The white linen wavered

In time to your mind

You raised

Your hand and took the crown upon your head

Sad were those fingers

As you dropped it

You backed

So slowly backed away from the diadem

Those tender steps retreating

Hidden beneath a white flag

You bowed

And said your adues to all

And returned to your stony keep

To slumber once more

You sighed

As you promised and prophecied of a different day

When you would walk down the tower steps

With crown and veil once again

In time to my mind

The Game

The game is on

Shall the romp commence?

Shall we move these piece?

Once again

There was a time when you were

The queen of the castle

And I merely a pawn

To bend to your persuasions

But now we are so evenly matched

You circle left

And I write

But to the end of things

Who can say

We both make plans

And try not to smile

You counter me

I step back, but forth come I

This is the dance we dance

With swords

and words

And eyes

So no banter made

No tapestry of love to weave

Shall we be rivals then

Or lover caught in sweetest heaves

I'll be a general, you be the queen

You move your pawns against mine

I command words

You command hearts

Together apart

As two dwarf stars dancing

Nearer each other

Our mutual destructions arise

So apart we keep

And dance only with eyes

But maybe destruction can also be sweet

When the dance draws closer

And our desires then meet

For destroying the self

For the gain of the twain

So now let us move this way

You this way and I that

Parallel each other's minds

Countering each other's souls

The game is afoot

And I love to play

When an excellent player's to be had

This shall be the most excellent game

The game is surely on

Said a thought to me, in passing

Said a thought to me, in passing

And you remember don't you

When her eyes only danced for you

So long time ago

When your love had not tasted winter's breath

And you remember don't you

When the world would stand still

So long time ago

When all you ever wanted stood before you in her

And you remember don't you

When the inferno grew hot

So long time ago

And your passions were stoked to fire

And you burned to touch her skin with longing

And you remember don't you

When the fire went out

So long time ago

And you tasted the dust on her heels

And you knew a thousand slow, cold deaths

And you remember don't you

That you made that empty promise

So long time ago

That you would never love again

So why would you hold me captive tonight?

On this St Valentines'

I have tried to drink you away

Wash these marks from my heart

From my mind

I have tried to forget you again

With the taste of gin, and whiskey, and wine

From my being

But even though I no longer love you

Or her as I once so fervently did

From my heart

You have all shaped my soul with your absences

Sculpting who I am without you

From my memory

So this day I shall raise my cup to all of you

To the memory of your sweetest smiles

From our pasts

And I shall no more weep these sweet tears

For anyone of you

From my soul

Burnt Offerings

And then there was light

And it burned us

But a little

And then the tingle grew

And became a prick

A drop of blood

And then there was life

And feeling once again

But a little

And then the life grew

And became a note

A burst of song

And then there was a love

And it bloomed up again

But a little

So shall I let it grow?

And let it become a fire

A burnt offered soul?