*
Oh, the cool black breath of the nighttime draws near,
brings pitchers of quiet-flowing wine-black here,
brushing mourning fingers too softly to hear -
comes and revives my poor languishing dear.
You see the sparkling and deep red
wine juice fall from the jug, red and gold,
right through the night black and drear,
that is the gloomy red old
exhumed bleeding dead
wine in the night’s hand hither brought.
O my loved one let us toast
the red together like yawls off the coast
wander homeward when the catch is in –
together sinking where dark’s most
deep, mid the houses’ dark resonant host
as if aping our steps within.
Those houses are full nonetheless
silent lightfolk make each other guess
words and silently laugh –
we walk together bathing through the dark recess
brimful of the dark seeds to excess
joy that will soon outgrow the chaff.
Calm yellow gazes of people spying
at the windows and starting to grimace
at us two stumbling on our way –
whores round corners their mouths all sighing
leer, men’s backs surge along in the race
of the gold-lined street stream’s spray.
Our closed eyes go –
past our eyes the waves go,
dark sky –
we are two fishes that will inhabit
deep-dug black sea caves
with no cry.
In the black city
in the coal-black city
in the city with metal root,
I’ve filled a room with soot
black – and red with desire,
within burns yellow fire.
The empty walls surround,
fallen velvet, and around
the silent folds joyously play –
then rush upon their way
through the red gold lights –
we’re amazed at these sights –
and walk on sighing.
Like blunted houses with lighted panes,
in which lightning blazes
so are our walls there –
like great women with falling hair
each corner stands up and retains
the room’s soft muffled planes.
There we stand and keep still,
we touch with a shuddering thrill
and look around us –
there’s a buzz in us,
far outside the city buzzes too
with drear, dull hue.
But great flame flowers are about to start
to sway in your hands with love in their heart –
your hair rises like a flame,
your cheeks flow with fire, and perspire –
oh let it be consumed in me
that blazing rationality.