I once was lewd –
I knew no shrine.
But, still I wooed
You with fine wine.
Then, together we fell
Like a discordant tone
On deaf ears. Did I lie
to you? How crude
is your vile mind?
You’d have me nude
and finger-twined.
Well, I can’t even tell
Whose love here is on loan
Or whether I’ll stay dry.
Fie thee, foul mood!
You obscure mine
Eyes, make me rude,
And strike my spine –
Saturnine Show and Tell
of anger, overblown:
Bastardised Lullaby.
I am no prude –
I can drink brine
and eat burned food.
I’m not divine
But this will not fare well
If I am loved by stone
Too cold to weep, or die.
When Love gets sued
It’s a dark sign
That Fear has screwed
Some poor, sad swine.
For him, we toll the bell,
For her, we toss a bone,
And together, we cry.