Brackets

me wincing from a spine of light
splitting my braced blades

scrambling up highland pumice flats
from the pebbled racket of the sun

and from the outreach of his longfingered hands
he pacing me, lank and steady

his legs were a diagram of strings
I never fronted

cleft I fell

pitched into a bracketed cell
which exhaled heavily mortal air

limp and agile as an ape I climbed ladders
listening to dark breath pulse under the rungs hanging

and swung onto the black catwalk
railing before huge doors with bony locks

beneath me I saw him drag and wind cord
about a boy's light body

and caught up an iron candelabrum
to hurl down to murder and save

but I could not let go armed
armed with candles without light

arms moving like weeds in the sea
dragged forward in a tidal pull and swimming

I could not drop the brachiate iron on the rankle
the coiler of cord who was hurting the boy

therefore I faced the great gates
stood the unlit candles aside

cast the laborious bolt
and heaved the panels outward

wailing to the apricot brilliance
from the darkness I shut behind me

my cowardice my failing my loss

　

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