Ahora/ en esta hora/ crepita
más la muerte/ que la vida.
–Claribel Algeria

Under the patio’s
intricate leaves she

strolls off, clutching
quick Faust, her

pupil, to her breasts.
Finito. The man

deceives himself that
he’s unique, that

his cleaved skull
won’t be used as

a smashing
drinking cup,

and that, “Now/ at
this hour/ death

crackles more/
than life.” If I

were a defrocked
bishop and you

sin, would you
still bite hard?

Folklore says it
just takes a soul,

a mosquito’s song
of pain, and it’s done.

But what does myth
know? eh? myth?

myth! yes? But I
have no faith, no

books, no calling.
Bite me. Hard. Blood

slows. Eyes blank.
Heart – tie me

to the xenolith,
make me strange:

miscreant ghost,
sex-mad wraith.

][][

Ahora/ en esta hora/ crepita
más la muerte/ que la vida.
–Claribel Algeria

Under the patio’s intricate leaves
she strolls off, clutching quick Faust, her pupil,

to her breasts. Finito. The man deceives
himself that he’s unique, that his cleaved skull

won’t be used as a smashing drinking cup,
and that, “Now/ at this hour/ death crackles more/

than life.” If I were a defrocked bishop
and you sin, would you still bite hard? Folklore

says it just takes a soul, a mosquito’s
song of pain, and it’s done. But what does myth

know? eh? myth? myth! yes? But I have no faith,
no books, no calling. Bite me. Hard. Blood slows.

Eyes blank. Heart – tie me to the xenolith,
make me strange: miscreant ghost, sex-mad wraith.

][][

note:

a xenolith (ancient Greek: “alien rock”) is a rock fragment which becomes trapped and swallowed within a larger rock.