|
past perfect |
|
|
|
|
when I once was - |
|
when sure waves of
confident being |
|
still pounded
strong shores, |
|
when iris
dawns’ blush |
|
roared in like
seashell-whorled memories |
|
denying knowledge
of nights |
|
when the clouds
gathered ash |
|
from sealed fates |
|
of
childhood’s shanties abandoned. |
|
|
|
|
when I once was - |
|
when rendered
light of strong purpose |
|
struck weak walls
with glowing desire |
|
leaving their
shadows to shiver, |
|
when hands fed |
|
on sights’
soundless conquests, |
|
when words spread
promising wings |
|
on future’s
horizon |
|
while angels,
abandoned, |
|
practiced harsh
landings |
|
on steel-surface
glances. |
|
|
|
|
when I once was - |
|
when having been
perfect in trying |
|
to scale cliff
faces’ impatient demands, |
|
when skating the
slippery smiles |
|
of sleeting
peers’ jealousies, |
|
then the last
scrape of wings |
|
running aground |
|
echoed a rose end
-- |
|
a sea gleaming
thorns, sky smeared blood, |
|
and red petals,
fast sinking. |
|
|
|
© Jon Bohrn
(2000) |
