is reborn;                                        the eternal nature

                                                        of power & order             golden fleece

                     of the divine goat–that symbol

                                                        of leaping lust       spiral horns into ecstasy

the goddess medea’s brows

the archways unto heaven

                           the sky of a mother’s soles//

mother earth refuses

no human blood

                                          princess

                                          sorceress

                                          teacher

                                          mother

                                          healer

                                                         betrayed her people

                                                           to please her lover

                                                                               disoriented

                                                                                  orphaned

                                                                              began anew

                              in exile     meditated

                              waited & searched     the new earth

                   beneath   her   feet   for   meaning

                                               while making love

                                               kept her eyes   open

                                                exchanged wealth for ambition

                                                                        infinite & belonging

                                                                only to itself

the sacred, preserved

in its desecrated versions:

                                                           only reality remains

THE SIN WAS PITY

CONFUSED WITH LOVE:

                                                                    i wanted to wander

                                                                      to follow     to be guided

                                                                                              by lust     alone

                 i can no longer call

             on my ancient god; i am still who

             i was…bearing this

                                     burden

                           of knowledge

                                                           scorpion woman,

                                                           your poisons are hidden

                             cursed garments for eating royal flesh// are you not

                     magnificent;

                     immune to remorse,

                you wear purple & red, colors of flesh & victory                            

your words variant versions

                                           mimicking memory

                               reversed conversions:   light   to   dark

to the flames    of lust

                    broken by desire

                                                                loving you

                                                          is an early death

                                                               i walk to

                  O Mars,

           father of ecstasy

                    & war

                                                   raw honey of your skin

                                                                            my poison

                        rose dusk of lips

                     tongue teeth breath

                                i mark you with pomegranate rain;

                                                         claiming your flesh

                                                                  your chaos:

                                                                                     my own