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Last Gesture Before Sleep

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                Half way up the ladder

summit. Knocking

horns with the wounded antelopes, she

gives all

to a contemplative dare.

                She thinks of the worms

in her palm, the shooting star

of last night’s glory and

his lantern look, beyond

measure or magic.

                She wants his skull between

her hands, his toes warmed by her

fingers, and his eyes

fixed on her belly

and hips.

                Jealousy and sorrow, splitting

clouds and wishes over the blank wall.

Candlelight floods the sheets.

His body like a large root lies,

almost angry from kisses.

                She crawls over him,

(covering like a shell)

and drives her loneliness

into realms of unforgettable

peace.

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Copyright © 1991 by Allison Grayhurst

amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

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First published in “oasis” , 1996

 

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

 

“Grayhurst’s rapturous outpouring of imagery makes her poems easily enjoyable … Like a sear the poet seeks to fathom sensual and spiritual experience through the images of a dream.” Canadian Literature

 “Allison Grayhurst’s Common Dream is a massive book by a talented and enthusiastic young writer, with a feel for descriptive, meaningful verse. Philosophical and very deep,” Paul Rance, editor of Eastern Rainbow, U.K.,  spring 1993.

“Her poems read like the journal entries of a mystic – perhaps that what they are. They are abstract and vivid, like a dreamy manifestation of soul. This is the best way, in prose, one can describe the music which is … the poetry of Allison Grayhurst,” Blaise Wigglesworth Oh! Magazine

“Rich images and complex, shifting metaphors drive Allison Grayhurst’s poems. She focuses on sexual love and interior landscapes, widening to include the heart, eternity and all.”  Next Exit

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