I
she rose from the table
and halos and halos
a man at the door
he hadn't been there before
swords in his eyes
and behind those chambered lips
were stories stories stories.
i haven't seen you in two hundred years
one of us was set adrift –
into death
and now you've gold in your
eyes and now
there are demons in your smile
II
he is the longing that i used to know
he is the longing died 200 years ago
gold in his eyes and halos and halos
that man wasn't there–before.
III
it seemed there were voices
whispering and whispering
and faces in places where no
skin could be.
what of that bottle that bottle that bottle
suddenly vivid truth i seemed to see.
the lips never moved
curtained by that stash
but still he said softly
it's you it's you
his long coat and silver and silver and silver
then out of the window he flew
(and out of the window he flew)
IV
toward the door slowly she moved
in a trance.
my potion was poisoned said she
for there in the place that i knew i'd imagined
stands the man lost at sea
he's out he's out
he's courting my mistress
seducing from 200 years in the past
this man, he is older than 3 or 4 lifetimes
and he's here in this corner with me