Wednesday, May 08, 2024

His Secret Notes

 

In Book VII of The Secret Notes

of Constantine Colossus

he summarizes what he's learned



from his 4 o'clocks with kings and queens,

from his morganatic wife

who sold their son to sausage men,



from his large collection of poniards

jewelled and venomed, and long use

of gnostic texts and lemon inks.



Life is short and wonky-ish, he says,

our felicity at all times

frail. Roses fade, but grass persists.



Love is ephemeral, plutocrats,

like the beggarman, must sleep.

Still, gold ain't all that shabby.



My edition of The Secret Notes

is dented, as though I weren't

the first who threw it at the wall.

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