Screed

~ qbit

“You can’t write the clear biography
of the aches and pains inside your skull.”
– Jim Harrison

 

Tattoos are skin deep –
I want to scrimshaw love poems
onto your bones
and mine

Scratch the itch of Rumi
in endless spiral scrawl,
Persian, Arabic and Greek
knotting our ribs

The whale tooth you left in me
from when we made love –
you are fair game
in my hunt for ivory

Celtic curses for knuckles,
Beowulf’s sweord and scylda at hand,
and all of Macbeth
twitching in my thumbs

Spending years, decades,
a lifetime
illuminating manuscripts,
endless scores of this song

There is just one more thing
I wanted to tell you –
will you know it
by heart?

 

Day 16, 28 Days of Unreason

18 thoughts on “Screed”

  3. Well, I just slid on the loose gravel of this one, all the way into the river. Tats are only skin deep and weaving in all that lit – extra points for going Beowulf. The hunt and the knight images are completely charming and worthy of the lit you bring forth. Of course, that last line is so completely ‘love poem’ in nature. A love poem as only Sir Q would write 🙂

    Side note: We were sitting on Park Ave (this one, not that one) last night drinking wine, watching people, and a guy goes by wearing a Hurley t-Shirt. I said, I really want to take a sharpie and write Burly under it. Of course, he didn’t look much like that would work for him, so I consoled myself with quoting some witches & etc. This is what happens when nerds are allowed out in public.

    Great poem!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you!! Figured if I was going to write from these old bones, I would have to go back to Beowulf. Great comment, so much appreciated.

      I think you should carry an Extra- Sharpie at all times and proceed to mark up the world as needed. I belive your

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. “something wicked” in this writing, Mr. q! Your talent at wordplay is not a mere allusion …er, illusion (I get those crossed …religiously). This is a beautiful love poem guaranteed to leave her head spinning. Great work!

    Liked by 2 people

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