Charlie Cody
Ancient Solemnness
(The Troubles)
Ancient solemnness
Blown through the pipes of hallowed cause
from pagans to clans
with rifles in hand
Drums pound the beat of soldier's march
through the mud of time
Where passioned men died in cause
and haunted souls still fight
for peace
Ti' Jean
Falling into the womb of her soul
Held close to her bosom
in her arms of time forgotten
Thighs of ribboned steal
Shining in moonlight of forever
Sprawled onto the horizon of your sad red earth
Jewelry of broken glass and sidetracked sphinxes
Perfume of oil- scent of heat
I turn through the ghost of a man
Peering through the weeds
of her unmade bed
and walk to where the ribbons meet
to untie her bow
Route 66
In the rearview mirror of my imagination
lies sepia dreams, teacart memories, and a woman
that i can neither remember or forget...
And where am i driving, oblivion?... hell?... paradise?
or am i just driving & driving & driving?
And peering into the rearview mirror
I see the reflection of a life... a dream...
a forgotten haiku put to music
a saxophone blown beneath a streetlamp
a woman putting her lipstick back into her purse
a smile fading in chiaroscuro memories of another life
driving her down another street... another boulevard...
another dream.
About the Author
Charlie Cody is a writer, poet, song lyricist, and archivist. He is the author
of "Gutrumblings " his first collection of poems, with another in
the oven, and "Witness To History" his archive which will be left
to the main branch of the New York Public Library for posterity.
He presently makes his home in the Catskill mountains, but still not exactly
sure where.
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