Of Thorns, Of Vapors
There are revelations that leave
a man broken.
Today, I ran my fingers along the razor
edge of fissures,
Paul and Pythia
finding intersection
in the body. A thorn, a vapor,
rising, burrowing, inside
the temple. I question
if either could be
blood of your blood,
the deepest chasm
buried in, splitting
the flesh
out
of complacency.
5 thoughts on "Of Thorns, Of Vapors"
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a poem that prompted me ask questions, to think of the Apostle. to ask whose blood you’re talking about– and to muse on the choice of the words vapor, and complacency. I see a tremendous lot of spirit/flesh in this one.
There is so much in this Joseph – it feels like you have pared it down to bones that are surrounded by…ghost words that have so much to say. I like it very much.
Awesome!
Thank you all 💙
Manny and Jane,
It felt like a small piece, from the start (though there was so much more I wanted to let spill out, regarding Paul & Pythia). But something about the subject matter, and the ambiguity behind Paul’s “thorn” and the vapors supposedly inducing or gifting The Oracle her visions…it refused to let me expand.
Funny how poetry writes US sometimes, is it not?
Thank you for your comments (and, equally, your questions).
That’s so interesting Joseph I was sure you’d trimmed it down – it sounds like it trimmed itself. I love when that happens. Being written by a poem.