IV, From "Animal Dreams" (2010) - (Sean Ali)

IV

And sulfur rose
             from the sacrifice
             smoldering slowly
             and split his skull
                            twice
              with madness
                                                And clay pots
                                                        house the tears
                                                        of our forgotten dead
                                                Whose ghosts sway
                                                         with the shadows
                                                                       of all objects
                                                                                             Shadows
                                                                                                in endless prostration
                                                                                                    to god
                                                                                                      who created them
And blood has stained
                  the grassy blades
And now the deer
                  do not eat of it
Nor do cattle graze
                                                  And running streams
                                                              cannot cleanse the earth
                                                   Fish jump not from
                                                               these streams
                                                                                              Birds bathe not
                                                                                                     in our fountains
                                                                                              For no bird bathes
                                                                                                         on surface
                                                                                                              of dry stone
And there the flame
                 will flicker
                         for a while
Fighting the steady wind
                                                  And the old women
                                                                will wail
                                                                        with grief
                                                  To the night
                                                                polluted with history
                                                   Beat their chests
                                                                and fall silent
                                                                                                And the silence
                                                                                                     will be sanctuary
                                                                                                             to the echo

Another body,
              bloated with ambition
has turned up dead
              in the morning frost
The stars’ iridescence
                 will burn you red
                                                      And your lips
                                                              will dry and crack
                                                      Your eyes bleary
                                                               and stinging
                                                       Your lungs coarse
                                                                and rasping
                                                                                        Claim defeat
                                                                                           with tragedy and reserve
                                                                                        Claim your final breath
                                                                                                            with serenity
And the night
              will blaze
Thunder
The rent earth
The soil baked
              with summer
                      locust heat
                                                     And fire burns in Babylon
                                                     Fire burns in Jerusalem 
                                                     Fire burns in Alexandria
                                                     And fire burns in Jericho
                                                     Burns in Constantinople
                                                                In Athens,
                                                                In Rome.
                                                                                          We reach for the sun
                                                                                          And you split the earth
                                                                                          We clamor to heaven
                                                                                          While you close the gate