Fast Day 20 October 19, 2007 {Magician's Calendar}

Fasting and 1 poem for peace in the Middle East.


Magicians' Calendar


the sunshine strained through dimity
steals through the panes of fall;
a world made close and still’d of voice
beat on the windows’ pall.

the feller strokes of chopping wood,
that clocks within a face;
the hired man, the open road
and the impotence of lace!

try and find that which was toss’d
along horizon’s fence;
discover unknown graveyards
among our scattered sense.

the power of your nakedness
arboreal erotic play!
the forest gasps at your withdraw
the sweet, o sweet, manticore!


note:
manticore as used here has 4 syllables, ending in a long e and rhyming with "play".
Etymologically we use it as if it were derived from Greek "mantis, manteos" -one who divines, a prophet, a seer - and "kore", a young maiden.
Following the examples of "mantikos", the adjective, and "mantipolos" a combined noun, we create "manticore" = a young woman prophetess or seeress.

One may think that the meaning of "manticore" as a man-eating monster is rather far afield from this interpretation. However, we prefer to think of that particular meaning being given by fearful males spying upon Mysteries not meant for their eyes, whereat they were rendered impotent as if by Medusa or Artemis.