some slave
perished
over his oar -
these limbs
must belong
to some other slave,
fictional, a low motion
from a lofty actor
who cried to
applause "all moss
our cries all moss"
upon crisping
handfuls of
script to his lip
"we sang, mourn-
ful and wrong,
asphodel & asphodel,
the thorn smiled at
our names for the thorn"
|