Dining on Twilight
His face, beautiful
showed only emptiness
Perhaps she saw an elegant man
features youthful
but with a carved quality
all smooth planes
with eyes of mica
It was strange how little doubt she had
as to his purpose
She reached for her wine glass
raised it
and sipped
watching him
with covert nonchalance
A lovely dinner
feast before sacrifice
She wondered
as she often did
if every facet of her thoughts
was perceived by him
with contemptuous ease
Perhaps, perhaps
and perhaps not
He was gone already
the machine having wound itself down
his gaze seemed fixed
beyond all walls
on a vague glow of darkness
In the end, one emotion, vicious bastard
don't leave anyone alive to laugh
He enjoyed showing his power over her
silent presence
the ease with which
he could take her
passion, before passion's death
Fool, after all
to think me cowed
She began to lower her glass
pleased
that the path of her hand
was careless
was sure
His presence here, for this
gave the lie to his pretension of transcendence
She weighed the notion
of slipping out of her body
when the moment came
that would cheat him, in a way
but no
She never could quite manage
the techniques of the voyeur
His face, beautiful
showed only emptiness
Perhaps she saw an elegant man
features youthful
but with a carved quality
all smooth planes
with eyes of mica
It was strange how little doubt she had
as to his purpose
She reached for her wine glass
raised it
and sipped
watching him
with covert nonchalance
A lovely dinner
feast before sacrifice
She wondered
as she often did
if every facet of her thoughts
was perceived by him
with contemptuous ease
Perhaps, perhaps
and perhaps not
He was gone already
the machine having wound itself down
his gaze seemed fixed
beyond all walls
on a vague glow of darkness
In the end, one emotion, vicious bastard
don't leave anyone alive to laugh
He enjoyed showing his power over her
silent presence
the ease with which
he could take her
passion, before passion's death
Fool, after all
to think me cowed
She began to lower her glass
pleased
that the path of her hand
was careless
was sure
His presence here, for this
gave the lie to his pretension of transcendence
She weighed the notion
of slipping out of her body
when the moment came
that would cheat him, in a way
but no
She never could quite manage
the techniques of the voyeur
Even in this
to experience it fully
would be rebellion
against the dark
would be an act
sweet enough
to be considered purity
More than just a captive goddess
in a ritual of monumental unconcern
And so
dinner over
to the moment
inevitable
of pyrosis
the Semele thing
Zeus regretted that, though
And you, you fucker
have a ball
And yet
how they do
for an instant
grow greater
how they flare
with
a mortal's incandescence
The climax of the intellect
the frenzy of the body
Each moment
would go into the book
that lay open in her mind
the book
she would, in good time
write the finish to
Too soon, too soon
and yet, what better time?
Her pupils dilated
drawing in every nuance of light
I truly am a beautiful animal
serving many purposes
between compliance and defiance
His eyes, deep with stars
made show of ignoring her
Yes, this is the moment
of time's suspension fulfilled
had her glass
reached the tabletop?
Not yet
The walls of the room spun about her
the earth spun madly beneath the floor
He will only touch me once
no, more, there would be more
it would be interesting
to see him change
to experience it fully
would be rebellion
against the dark
would be an act
sweet enough
to be considered purity
More than just a captive goddess
in a ritual of monumental unconcern
And so
dinner over
to the moment
inevitable
of pyrosis
the Semele thing
Zeus regretted that, though
And you, you fucker
have a ball
And yet
how they do
for an instant
grow greater
how they flare
with
a mortal's incandescence
The climax of the intellect
the frenzy of the body
Each moment
would go into the book
that lay open in her mind
the book
she would, in good time
write the finish to
Too soon, too soon
and yet, what better time?
Her pupils dilated
drawing in every nuance of light
I truly am a beautiful animal
serving many purposes
between compliance and defiance
His eyes, deep with stars
made show of ignoring her
Yes, this is the moment
of time's suspension fulfilled
had her glass
reached the tabletop?
Not yet
The walls of the room spun about her
the earth spun madly beneath the floor
He will only touch me once
no, more, there would be more
it would be interesting
to see him change
the fingers of his hand elongating
Remember, how his eyes once shone
with honest hunger?
A mare
swimming in shallows
gone suddenly deep
pulled down
by the engulfing touch
of an octopus
Now,
this is what I must know
Will he draw out my life
sucking it into himself
or will he
burn the fragile network
that holds life
even her life
What sign
will tell me for certain?
He will circle me
and I will wait
for the inturning deviation
of his orbit
a slipping off balance
a deepening of breath
yes, and hate can fire passion
blending desire to hurt
with desire to fuck
No, don't think
what if he can hear my thoughts?
Watch now
be focused
he may or may not
own the realm of thought
but it is my time
even as he tears, tears
at the bindings
If there is a final secret beneath the waves
she will see it
at the least, the very least
there will be heat, spinning heat
perhaps that is the only secret
worth knowing
His face was empty
All sarcasm aside, it had been a fine dinner
(c) 2003 Malcolm Deeley
Remember, how his eyes once shone
with honest hunger?
A mare
swimming in shallows
gone suddenly deep
pulled down
by the engulfing touch
of an octopus
Now,
this is what I must know
Will he draw out my life
sucking it into himself
or will he
burn the fragile network
that holds life
even her life
What sign
will tell me for certain?
He will circle me
and I will wait
for the inturning deviation
of his orbit
a slipping off balance
a deepening of breath
yes, and hate can fire passion
blending desire to hurt
with desire to fuck
No, don't think
what if he can hear my thoughts?
Watch now
be focused
he may or may not
own the realm of thought
but it is my time
even as he tears, tears
at the bindings
If there is a final secret beneath the waves
she will see it
at the least, the very least
there will be heat, spinning heat
perhaps that is the only secret
worth knowing
His face was empty
All sarcasm aside, it had been a fine dinner
(c) 2003 Malcolm Deeley
illustration copyright Gene Colan