The Guardsman and His Lord

A scream
from the earth below!

A shudder
A groan
A blow

A scream sounds
from the earth below!
Redounds
Collects
Rebounds
From the earth
so far below!

Tis’ not the wind, Sirrah
Nor neither tis’ the snow
Nor tis’ the Sorcerer King
For he dares no such show
Of sound
His light
And soft whisper
form his preferred show

The clown

No, he has not returned
since you did bade him go

Worry you not?
For I
I worry so

Hark, Lord
Hear you that sound
of feet on ground
and eyes hard scored
of drums that beat
and howls that ford
the dark, starless hours
toward hard, starbright shores?

No?

You must need use
Your second sight
To see those eyes hard scored
Too must you seek
The second sounds
To hear this hard wind blow

I do
I do and so
Reflect upon the past
You know
I too
Helped sew
And so I too
well know

All here upon the ground
All here upon your ground
So hard won
From dusk till sun
Returns again
Your spacious ground that is my
and is too my family’s home

Blind Lord, suppose
I see you hear
Blind Lord
Stand ye’
and reappear
from dinner’s
sluggish
repose

Drip not
Here
Use this
Blow your own
damned nose

See you not this smoke
And smoky circle
This circle and line
Abroad there beyond
This our table
This our wine
There beyond
The trees’ own
line

The smoke is dark
The smoke is fine!
The smoke climbs
and swirls! And climbs!

Beyond boughs
Tis’ a plume of war
A single shape
A shepherd whore

Splits she like a plow
And opens the sky like a
festered sore

Deaf Lord
You see
Deaf Lord
Come ye’
with me

Still you sit
Still he sits
And will not come with me

Hear you not the drums?
Oh silent drums! Drums I hear
Drumming back
That dead one down

Slain
Sacrificial
Made
Obsolete
That cowan reveler
Caused so to frown
Once strong
Sickly
Once tall
cut down

Could it be
the cut
unwound?

Thou mute
Speak ye’
To my mind’s right ear

Ahh yes
I see

You shall not go
And so you do
permit me

Ah yes
Hear I
Ah right
I hear

You shall sit
And sitting sigh
Reminiscent
Though I know not why

Well snap out
Of your mute tired side
And be alert for but a moment
Pray I need not shout!
Pray now, look alive!

Now listen
thou with me:

What voice sings through
This pale vale of skin
and in so doing
dares to renew?

A touch
a stone
a symbol

could then become
the newest truth?

And I know
How you feel
Of truths

How you stole
and strove
‘gainst brutes

To have
The privilege
Of thy own fine truths

To call your own
Built
Into
This castle’s
stones

Cut
Through
Your own
Flesh
And bones

Torn from
Your daughter’s
own

A body so soft
so hard overthrown

So
stand and unfold yourself,
Sirrah!

Elsewhere
Outside your land
Stands a Guardsman
And guarding
Holds he up his righteous hand
He is your guardian!
Righteous he, he stands
And holds both hands

The Guardsman
Is he
His echo
I am

We stand
And do defend
I stand
At your right hand

Upon me
You do depend

Raise I my hands
Place I mine
Upon my Governor
Upon my Lord
Upon my land

My land
Tis
Too
My land

But hush now
Shall I
Before my speech
Might thou offend

Tis’ my land in spirit
Tis’ your land
in deed
and in fact

In hand

Ahh, he
The guardian
holds his vows
And sows and plows
His sword
Into the worldly sand

The sand is an hour
And an hour
Incomprehensible
He does not understand

One doth turn to two
And two do turn to ten
An hour sold
Becomes a man
For a guard
Is his time
And a king
Is his lands

And I
Am but a guardsman

Toward this fiery scream
Shall I descend

On me you can depend, Sirrah
On me you can depend

Read the Lyric from the Beginning