When we scry with an arsenic mirror, poison
blackens the brightest suns,
fouls the fairest fortunes,
and smudges the saintliest souls.
Glass gassed with our own
undigested venom gives a glimpse
of the godless ghosts we're twinned
to in the womb.
Arsenic mirror (a highly unscientific definition) - an old method of detecting arsenic poisoning. If the ignited gasses from the stomach of a corpse smudged a cool glass or plate, arsenic was present. Anyone else watching Taboo?
For Kerry's prompt at Real Toads
Thursday, January 12, 2017
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About Me
- Maude Lynn
- Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days. ---Flannery O'Connor
12 comments:
poison
blackens the brightest suns;
it fouls the fairest fortunes
and smudges the saintliest souls.
Eee❤️ You totally rocked the prompt, MZ!
To read our dark, use a dark mirror. "Glass gassed with our own / undigested venom" is a hellish way to get one's news, but these days it seems apropos. Like soothing Trump -- if he smelt it, he dealt it.
I am definitely going to watch Taboo. Haven't started yet but who would pass up the sight of Tom Hardy?
The premise of the arsenic mirror is most intriguing. The notion of a test for indigested venom - on a metaphoric level - is a very powerful trope.
MZ--I guess I need to watch Taboo, if it inspired this poem in any way.
"undigested venom "
a very powerful metaphor, in the light of recent politics - world observing, luv this poem
much love...
I am struck by the "godless ghosts we're twinned to in the womb". Yikes.
No womb twins nor wombs for me, Mom ZEE. A bird dropped me on a rock and the sun hatched me. Been told that. Thanks for telling of the arsenic moon.
..
Oh yes! I am watching Taboo and loving it too. And I love your poem - deliciously dark as always.
Wonderfully shivery. Love the alliterations.
Time for new lenses.
and old lace. ~
This was fascinating! I love all the alliteration.
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