October 4th, 2021The Lighthouse

The waving line between shore and sea
dissolves footprints like friendship and time
The way ahead is dark and uncertain
A lighthouse on the cliff illumines the black sea
where white birds hover as heralds.

Tether me to a lantern so I can see
the colours of sky, my first love
never so with people but loved many cats
simpler in their ways and soft
Today is a good day to die watching flocks of ibis
fly in formation in a winter sky

The Egyptian god of writing and language
bore that curved beak dipped in blood or octopus ink
scribing hieroglyphic instructions in stone
on how to make the sun rise
Strange how fear projects such errors

Here at the end of all things once again
Thanatos rages as starving women
give birth to babies in dust while men kill each other
in futuristic battle gear and weapons
gifted by some power or other, hard to know why
but it dries up the river Nile at its source
while the ends of the earth melt and catch fire

Now a plague to each other with disease in the air
gasping and greedy, we devour life itself
Here in this safe harbour the boat’s engine shudders
plowing through waves bearing empty seats and a passenger
I breathe and wait, aware of millions gasping for breath
Or going mad in lockdown
when suddenly this grim thought melts
as the sky softens to luminescent pink

When the ferry docks I chase the sunset in my car
but flirtatiously true love fades without trace
the road ahead forks to the left
a dead end going round in circles
and the other way blocked by consequences
further down the road a neighbour’s voice shouts
outrage at the lack of a want
like a child digging a deep hole in the sand
she strides on carrying six children with unhealing wounds

What power can free me from this burden?
The inner sun illumines a fool
in a jester’s hat, mask and costume
willing to perform any part
unrehearsed for no pay