Ode to Survivorship

Covert machinations reveal a beard of blue

Sentiments of love, frothily spewed

Purposed to collar our Lilleth

Burrowing underground to backtrack

Ear perked to cascade of steps

Sighted and aligned with crosshairs

Falsehoods carry a price

Dare you to turn fully

Look back and see teeth gleaming

Do you feel my gaze?

Carrying your maggoty load

Carved flesh stealthily excised

To the rhythm of greed

Self fashioned of porcelain

Vacuous, frail and privileged

Grimy black hole of need

Ever feasting to feel in the void

Fantasies overflow, a drip for a drop

Finger tapping a beat to your demise

To a song of vengeance or values?

Trigger tempts with the crook of her finger

Almost tasting iron-rich victory

Visions dancing wild to the dirge

Bonfire steeped in woods

Flicks and licks at the shadows

In gluttonous euphoria

Predatory pleasures extend high

Off-gassing bloated grandeur

Blinded to this movement of stratagem

Animated micro-visage meant to annihilate

Repurposed to vehicle transformation

From slitted chrysalis, through scoped point

Observing that predatory gloat

Of stalking, to feeding, then denying

Shall I bid the siren’s call?

Ripping havoc upon the bluff’s edge

Or heed the maiming dream

And join the bay of self-righteous beasts

To release the shell and rain lead

Stroking saboteur to new heights

In earthy boots do I pause

Pondering images of vengeful delight

Violin-toned notes of Nero

Dilemma of shadow and light

Uncocking hammer, but keeping in sight

Moderating actions and aligning values

Ceasing the internal flow

Of consuming false messages

That negate worth and love

Assuming shame and blame

For actions unrelated to me

Predating this moment and festering

Projecting overflow of whine and fuss

From Mother’s gash and Daddy’s demons

From forever long ago

And forevermore, a cycling dervish

Until mush in a grave

Unless we choose a stave

Dipping blade in love, cutting loose

Binding thoughts, locked with fear

A culling of messages

Precious Death on the ready

Scythe a sweeping to attune

Heaps of tangles to be removed

Embracing to allow expiration

Clearing and plowing of the fields

Gratitude found in the choice to grow

Planting of knowledge to sow

Of which, I continue to invite

Through conversing with sentinels

To crafting an arsenal within

Enabling the change to begin