Sweet lips cut raw 

            a miser to pain

 seeks a petal

                        to kiss

                to lick lips

clean 

  A wind whistles deep

     That we harken at

some time and muse

an ocean’s fury on

                           The one’s

Past gone                            

                     lives trekked

                    and seas braved

Unmerciful to our mettle

Chains us in its terror

                  needles in the neck

                 thorns in the thighs

                madness in the mind

          The stern weeds grass

Decked across the gloomy sea

                             born from the night sky

Breed croaks to see

                      the great blue sea

   Miserable lips parched raw

Cup at the shallows

            and swallow 

                 to keep

                     souls 

                          lean

Shards of diamond

 float 

portside, starboard, stern, and

                   bow 

each murmuring mermaids 

           singing songs,

tempting tempests

              long starved,

 for sailors

                            jolly bold

who once smiled 

         charmed

This ‘world’ of woe

         waltzes 

enigmatic 

as age creeps

and beckons to

muffle lifes’

flames     

             fancies darkness

rough on the wax

does nothing to spare

our jaded tongues’ lisps

sweet capitulation 

 as to when

our flaming steeds

        shall 

kneel, neigh, and feign

blighted and dip knees

into endless

          cold