Born – baptized in salt and sap Snared – a hallowed skein of stars Awakened – the halcyon dream dissolves Forgotten – the void in silence calls Comatose – a divine state Ink and spear procreate Frosted serif – hide crimes past Opal illusion – in re-flec-tions of the ash Decrepit slave to blind overlord Rapture traced in arcane rime Natural order catechized Prostrate in static longing By thy grace our pallor regained “Nigh or now” – the truth’s the same Sedating all with yellow grin Crowned in knowledge – but forever robed in sin I, on the precipice Take a step in stagnate haze Loosen my constricting grip And cracked seeds fall from my fingers Feed – pick bones clean Silent ascension with body serene Twisted locks and meal-ground teeth Eternal unrest in a withered nest Wisdom wanes with waxing pride He falls from sense to conceit Decrepit slave to blind overlord Rapture traced in arcane rime