RED SUITE

The assignment was monosyllabics, save for the occasional digression.

[red tracks]

foul star:
you plant thorns
blown by hell’s
fire. ask these
used souls: red
tracks at fear’s gate.


[crawled red]

nails seen at the gate,
you saw men anviled
by loss of care. we
ate fear at the bridge
of fate, crawled
red tracks through
fire’s waste.


[aching red]

foul stew, wretch’s brew—
storm of red plenty.
ache of hell’s thorns,
soul’s fear at the gate.
fire tracks fear,
asks none who
is first, blue men
blown, wall blown down.