Glenn Hardin- Three Poems

ROLL IT AWAY 

The gods of chaos rattle
cold metallic air down the back
of my neck, and they blindside
my karma.  My fingernails
begin to itch, and my skin
erupts with a miracle dose
of my blotchy inner life.
My outmuscled soul curls
into a ball and the dung beetles
roll it away.  I've forgotten
more than I remember, but guess
what?  I remember everything
again.  It's not a curse,
but the payback channels
a gaggle of stars,

and the divine wrinkles home

a fractal reality that speaks

for itself and tells me to stop.

 

 

AN APOLOGY

for Tammy Dietz

Please Tammy, don't you be upset

if I cough up more than I ate.

The wizards of love march

on the tombstone in my heart,

and they choke the weeds there

for nettles, that's all it is.

And because I follow their lead I can

waltz the vultures down, I can stare

at death like any mystic will.

And because I follow their lead

built up toxins rumble through me

at odd hours visions I can eat

on a stick but can't swallow.

 

SELF PORTRAIT--1669

Laughing that time

is in a hurry against him,

Rembrandt van Rijn

laughs at you and me too,

his uglified nose

a carney outlaw meant

to scare the pants off

the ghost in his eyes,

opening the lines

in his face

so you can almost hear

his low country cackle

and feel his body heat,

so you can clear the way

to see for yourself

his look of triumph;

spoils of the war

with himself the red

and yellow light wins

for keeping him alive.