Orpheus

I see you blushing boy on the cloud above Vesuvio

you draw motes of lava into dragons swallowing dust

You, Orpheus you most beautiful painter of the shadows

put away the fire closes in on us the char GRASPS for the clouds the clouds croon for the ground the smoke is ever-close

go through dust in the caldera beware the body become ash if you lose the wings, the insanity of our dreams

Orpheus the wanting light of the old world flickers

you selfish breeze will you chase truth behind eyes that cling to volcanized skull

will you fly from the shaking magma to the stars and find me there

can your gaze color in every shadow of the floating universe

or shall we worthy men go now bare Olympus to the flames