The Nyro Poems - Majestic
for His Winking Majesty
1
'Tornado spawn, ' he said,
gesturing to ourselves and
laughing, 'chapter and verse,
'The storm darkens us around.'
We took cover from God under a
broad-leaf, low-lying rhododendron,
hunched over a hand-rolled cigarette
thumbs could touch but not each
other. Shivering every toke all
reaches curtailed beneath chaste hail.
In mud gulch, percussive rain on
sheltering leaves, we sang Nyro
(I could hit the high notes then) ,
as frightened of each other as we
were of the gale - the sermons
remained between us unspoken
but for thunder.
'Stoned Soul Picnic', 'Timer',
calmed or tired our terror
now Lear-caged in storm sheer,
odors of tobacco, sweat, of loam,
and lust hair-wet, heady.
Biblical fear - nostrils flared,
smells pungent, sweet -
punished flesh leaned into ground.
Our roots were ungrieved,
and are ungrieved still.
Ah, Laura of the soulful trills...
the years have spilled out since
Tennessee mountain torments
reigned where he was once and
only a Monday king after all,
a god of storms, chased downhill
to shaken limbs, prophetic stumps
triumphantly singing to leaves.
Now where are you?
What of your harlequin shoes,
those suicidal crocuses, ?
I remain stuck in King James, entangled
in lyrical tongues, Revelation's old virgin.
I stink still of sweat having long forsaken
Jesus, though I'm told I am not 'by Him forsaken'.
I've sworn off cigarettes, a penance long overdue,
hand-rolling old fears, instead, in onion skins brittle.
Remembering thumbs' refrains I am ill now, this
Nyro song here to calm me praying for another storm...
2
backyard empty clothesline
silk slip,
one pin down,
dips shyly in
brick shadows,
pornographic breezes.
I sing to my knees now.
when did I marry Lonely?
can't recall but fell kid-hard
Beyond Manhattan Bridge
sudden heat lightening
a good night with cool rain
old vinyl - Nyro
needle scratches
done with song
**Laura Nyro (October 18,1947 April 8,1997) was an American composer, lyricist, singer and pianist
poem by Warren Falcon
Added by Poetry Lover
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
No comments until now.