I hold incense and fire apart,

I hold incense and fire apart,
one in this hand and one in the other,
and yet I still speak in smoke,
offering up more than my burden,
beyond my possession,

empty tithes,
but I'm giving one-tenth
of everything I've been given

sitting here keeps me
lonely,
sustains my memory of myself

I remember you,
I say to I
eyes looking back at eyes
with no mirror between,
I remember you,
I say,
but then I forget the dream
in order
to dream of you,
the you that is not me

the half that cries
because the other half is lost,
and we could mean dead,
but we could mean so many things
already uttered,
and whispered
and slaughtered
in the name of the muse

her...
we give unto the eyes
of mothers,
we rationalize it
by the virtue
of giving birth

but when I look for
the words,
sometimes the oasis
is a mirage,
and I see into the
genderless nothing

we say it fulfills
when recited,
water when asked for,
bread when desired,
and poison-
a meanwhile's whim

it's these things I think of
often
that keep me from running to you,
taking your freedom
and chaining your hand to my hand

it's the weariness of tasting
that makes me ask,
and the blandness that makes
me contrary,
asking again

it's the reading of lies,
it's the changing face of truth

it's one more year of bruised hearts

woe being born alongside clowns and
magicians,

surprise is a fossil fuel
burning away to keep me going,
and I keep going
just to burn it away

-shadowchild
-------
shit, shachi, for once I'm all but speechless. this is painfully good.
please write me. I want your permission to use this next time.
and check out the latest issue if you haven't already; you're in it.
...from one who knows (genderless) nothing

-------
this took my breath away, shadowchild. "..we could mean so many things..woe being born alongside.."
perfectly written.
flicker
-------
thanks.
Yeah, I saw the new one. It seems to be transmitting a theme
of jesus imagery, or at least I picked up on something odd in a few pieces. Will write
soon. Still trying to gather up speed. Eventually, I'll become unstuck from
the ground.- schattenkind
-------
herr schattenkind: I agree about the jesus theme. it just happened; the damn thing has a life of its own (which of course is how it should be).
good luck with the levitation. gravitiy is a drag (oh ha ha) but I know from experience how upset can people get when they realise that you don't leave any footprints :)
as ever, my best wishes,
m

-------
over and over i read this...and over and over i'm in awe.
~haizeygirl
-------
thanks haizey, but I'm only standing on the shoulders of giants.
-shadowchild
-------
I must admit my curiousity is aroused. What is this "new issue" that you all are talking about? Is it online? If so I would definately be interested in reading it. I enjoy your writing immensley shachi, and I would like to read more.
~~Cor~~