#2458 -- only the skin of the world

 

2458

7.265

24.ix.26

only the skin of the world

melophraktic for Nigel Westlake’s and Lior Attar’s ‘Sim Shalom’

 

 

where we are, where we live

 

of the teeth and concerning the claw

 

goes all the way round

come back to just here

 

as far under the moon as anyone gets

although we burrow a bit

lift wing to fly

 

it’s just down here in a sky’s lowest reaches

and here’s a tribe of skin inscribed –

little scratches where we’ve signed

 

mainly though it’ nose to arse whiffy

old itch we’re under

 

bomb like a clock ticking on to tell

 

is it every animal for ourselves?

 

regret and what’s next?

anxiety reigns

 

skirmish becomes a catastrophe

no sin as such to visit

 

but ancient animosity

and mine, mine, mine

like Bugs Bunny in Ali Baba’s cave

after the wrong turn at Alberquerque

 

there isn’t an eye in the sky over this

but we have tossed up

it must come down

 

it’s every animal decides

 

peace is never granted

 

it’s the hard thing

it’s just for us to make