Desire is a butterfly

Above the fire

It does occur that a secure heart

In a sleepless night

Without reason

Flees

The haven of certainty

And breaks away

From its bounds

Like a swallow to live

In the trees

And suddenly appear

In windows

Flung open unintended

 

Motionless days

Between suq and madina

Glitter like melancholy moths

Against the city's white walls

Lying on wait

To be chosen

To fall a prey to obsession

Ready to plunge themselves head first

Into the beautiful fleshy scarlet lips

Of destruction

Or a tender spider's juicy net

That smells of dreamy sweet

Certain death

 

You saw him drag a numb wild

Crying bull

To the market

You saw him mount his donkey

Like a noble white precious camel

You saw his teeth dig into the flesh of a sabra

You saw him beat the drum in the streets

His eyes and his daring smile

That tore away every wall

Have pulled your veil apart

O my little she sparrow

It does occur now and then

That a decent girl's dreams

Under an eerie moon's breath

Confuse themselves and sing

And whisper of riotous flames to an innocent heart

Your agony's sweetness

O darling sparrow

We lament

 

A wild cruel Greek god

Played his pranks in the mountains

Eating of the season's first and most tender

Fruits

With his animal cry

He split the sky's curtain in two

And from his flute two birds acsended

Piercing the heart with soft brutish demonic beauty

They sing to us

Of worlds unknown

His teeth in the sabra's defenceless delicate flesh

Let you bleed at his sight

As if you felt them

In your own

Between suq and madina

You force his fire upon you

Compelled by your ecstacy

The Greek god's dance

Draws your blood

 

Blood is a flame

That glares, glows, tempts and cries

And always smiles straight into danger's heart daringly

O darling, soul's sweetness!

Your eyes have already called him

He is coming to play

With their so daringly innocent looks

Green-eyed cats as if of right

Play their noisy games between suq

And madina

Not shunning any witness

You turned your face

But your heart

Flew away

Like a butterfly

My poor darling soul bird

Tell:

What is tormenting you so?

Beware of gifts and of Greek gods

For it does occur that even

The wisest among us

Pierced by a sun ray's passionate flower

Forget all about themelves and succumb

To another wisdom's oblivion

Where imperfection is perfection

And falls not short of redemption

Once the heart has learnt

To surrender

 

 (This comes with a special greeting to Stephanie Hilpert.)