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Forgive the Night

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Let the heart peel

its iron crust.

Let the rainbow ribbon of this

spiritual dream

coil around my neck.

I walk the fished-fumed streets,

with mask in one hand and thoughts

of resurrection in the other,

balanced between mercy and reality’s

ruthless blade.

 

Who will let me in, let me

name my thorn, give wing

to my smallest vision?

 

Alone, through May’s

ripened night, through the dusk light above.

Grief shifts understanding

to a higher octave, anchors it in soft ground.

My hood, my sting, alone

waiting a certain tomorrow

when all will dig like a diamond

into my chest, leave no

forgiveness unappeased, no love

denied a brilliant wave.

 

I long for my enemy’s hand

to bless it like we all

bless the stars. I long to shut

out hate caused

by hurt, by love incapable.

 

A walk through a cemetery.

Death invading an injured bird’s

eyes. This I can bear.

This lockjaw, heavy drum of death.

But the dying – harsh struggle, grasping

claws, alcoholics in the streets,

violent children, worthless anguish…

 

Who will drain this venom from my

blood, blow my armour down?

 

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Copyright © 1995 by Allison Grayhurst

amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

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Published in “New Mystics” May 2018

http://newmystics.com/lit/AllisonGrayhurst.html

Click to access AllisonGrayhurst-Poems4.pdf

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

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