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Chinaglass Smile

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In your bright

forbidden art,

the tiger spreads

his strength

like a branch

that feels for the soft

darkness. Your jaws

break loose on the stars.

You hurt for no one.

 

You live without loving

the intimate smile.

You are blue and tender

and hiding behind sweet

features. You hunt your

enemies with cut-throat humor,

only a virgin fool

could command your tears.

 

I am lost in your

tentacle strength. I am not

the last one to enter your door,

nor the first who directed

your journey.

 

But the eyes of heaven

speak to me today

and they tell me,

 

beside you,

I must be grateful.

 

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Copyright © 1991 by Allison Grayhurst

amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

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First published in “Harvest”, 1996

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

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“Allison’s poetic prose is insightful, enwrapping, illuminating and brutally truthful. It probes the nature of the human spirit, relationships, spirituality and God. It is sung as the clearest song is sung within a cathedral by choir. It is whispered as faintly as a heartbroken goodbye. It is alive with the life of a thousand birds in flight within the first glint of morning sun. It is as solemn as the sad-sung ballad of a noble death. Read at your peril. You will never look at this world in quite the same way again. Your eye will instinctively search the sky for eagles and scan the dark earth for the slightest movement of smallest ant, your heart will reach for tall mountains, bathe in the most intimate of passions and in the grain and grit of our earth. Such is Allison Grayhurst. Such is her poetry,”  Eric M. Vogt, poet and author.