Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Involving Lines By Dryden

Involving Lines By Dryden

“The ghosts of traitors from the bridge descend.”
though in what poem is no longer clear. “Dame,”
said the panther, “your name will be remembered
so long as the line reappears.” So it’s true

there is no infidelity in love, you return
through it all, each stone used before
of this strange building we’ve never given up
Bible Babble, now move your feets

wizened from where we hope to return. Tanned by
an inner sun. Here I drifted off. Then the panther said:
“This is the only look we get at mind,
the middle voice, where you move your being,

svelt incongruence lying across dark branches
my breath like honey, Pliny said. Sacrosanct
breath across teeth. The ghosts of traitors from
the bridge descend.” Who was betrayed, I asked

whose poem is it. Then I saw I was a panther sprawled 
on a branch under which only shadows could pass,
back through the breath that brought words across the edge.

My round mirror was broken, like climbing up some kind of step.