Ritual (After Alice)
Listen
a something sound tumbling and churning
Under it Ovid in Tomis the edge of abyss
The low constant hum listen the blackening sea
The icy Danube barbarian water
Listen
Listen
That she has sent me here imprisoned
In words slicing words, a ceremonial
Car pushing through its low hum listen
The turning gushing tyre slap slipshod sliding
Listen
the voice of the trees the sunken skull
The seeds urgent seeking pulled here
and pulled here
Edging and nudging the exile sliced
Apart smile-lying please notice
Not notice and notice
Not see the icy barbarian water ceremonial
drifting
Listen
listen
The vessel swollen turning over
overturning
Hollow splitting the banks of Hebros
overwhelming
The low thumbing press on skin
The swollen water chamber
The severed head still singing, still mouthing
deafening
The incessant susurrating swell
Deafening
Overhearing please do not notice and her
Bathing in it overseeing overhearing
A poisoned king
List
I old Hamlet changing to my own prey
Prisoner chasing after a tumbling churning
Under it Ovid exiled divided no longer changing
Myself the hunting dogs mouth slather
overreaching
Digging up from the earth
A something sound
A something hum
A betrayal
A ritual
