67

Titanic dreams remain     where sunk--they lie,
a dogwood scar     for all your jealousies--
Ahab's last glimpse     in Moby's blank black eye,
Medusa-marriage     tombed     in frozen seas.

Blind mirror queen--you     star     of my bleak deeds!
Atlantis! mangered     in lagoons' decay...cracked
silver frame, that     weights me     to the weeds...
your jewelled     junk     checkmates     decoded day.

That lucid, tyrannous & cold iris
drags earth off-course,     harpooned to nothingness--
& my short stake     in everlasting     Venice is
a pained & painted wail     to     Davy Jones--unless

those arrows in your palm     are not in vain--
plain words come tumbling through     your vine again.

---

Henry Gould | Island Road 68
Contents | Mudlark No. 6