Welding Feldspar and Breccia

What to Say to a Prince: Some Suggestions for a Damsel

For you I will chisel away the starless sand;

I will wear my hat on my foot

And my face will be fisted with straw.

I will peel the rust from your toast.

I will butter your panoplies;

I will varnish your dominions;

I will goose your superlatives;

I will roust your conferments.

I will damask and blanch

Your wine and terra-cotta.

My blush will be honeyed,

My apricots gingered,

My pomegranates bankrupt

For you.

For you I will discard rich braids

Of russet gold foil twisted

With swarthy garnets and tender amber

And cool jade minerals. I will beat them

Into cracked dust and trade them

For burnt brick and soot

And copper salt

And dried sage and sorrel

And yellow cotton string.

For you.

copyright © lcmt

This poem is included in Chiral Phenomena, Intaglio Galosh Studio Press, 2011.