By the still, crystal Lake
She sits in amused madness.
Her reflection gathers form and
Escapes her lips, a crackle of sadness

Skipping stones, one..two..three...,
Across the ripple-free image
Timeless sounds exfoliate crusty,
To the very bone of damage.

As the wind bears crispy 'cross
The jeweled necks of frosted
Babies' breath, her forehead falls
To her palms, memory accosted.

He will not see her as she is now,
A song in the distance rewinds
To play again from laudanum dreams,
An autograph she gladly sings.

By: Merry 3/18/99 (Merlina Davis)


~The Belly-Dancer and The Snake-Charmer~

Hear the strings straining while the
Fifer high-pitches banshee wails.
The rapturous fliuds of Ravi Shankar
And Yehudhi Menuhin ripples through
The straw basket and behind the
Screen enclosure, same delectable
Creatures moves in unison as the charmer
Performs his mind-poisoning sllisions.

Seduction in full command, she,
The one with the jeweled belly-
Button and hips as wild as a
Dark horse in light, he watches,
Intent on charming the snake from
Its woven comfort but in his
Crimson vision with eyes veined
For her, he becomes entranced

The cobra lazily stretches his length
As the crowd in multi-coloured
Chorus chant thier approval, he
Returns to his coil of rest, knowing
His master is drunk in dreams
Of her as she continues to lose
Herself in the rhythm of those
Straining strings her body possess.

Marry 8/21/99 (Merlinda Davis)