The goddess of wisdom appeared as I sat guard Over the dry Dionysian festival Immortal student of plants Sitting this once on my left side My right seduced already By the Hawaiian fertility goddess Flashing sights to conquer men As I collected in their cash Skimming through my sketchings Same book as on the Loma floor Gilgamesh' gift so long ago Black with frantic scratchings She chided me Soft face of compassion (I almost drew her) For leaving out her loved ones More beautiful than the faces Upon which I'd lost my time They would offer pure love But no return for a money-grabbing man Why did I let that ancient whore tame me To draw what men will buy? Once I drew cold temples Monuments to the untouchable pristine Raising block on block To hear the goddess' own theme Yet here I sit between them Beauty having me book-ended And draw nothing of their glory Two perfume's mingled in one brain Waft canceling wave Tawdry lines on tawdry paper Capturing only what will fade Botanical wisdom leaves me Motions of the seasons And the body To sell my soul for nothing To sit the edge of revel As she goes in to dance Turning relieved from guilt remembered To my temptress of the right She too was gone to party On dry Dionysius' night.
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This work is Copyright (c) Mike Fletcher 2002