Sardis
Sardis
By Lee Younts
Sardis: The First Revelation
The white city stretched endlessly before my eyes
The wide avenues devoid of movement
Palpable silence
The early efficient sun had not yet reached the ground
And reluctant shadows pooled at odd angles
The other travelers rode silently
Silent not in the morning commute-silence of recent sleep
But silent in the wide-eyed apprehension of hypervigilance
The fear in their round eyes was not far away
Sheep to the butcher
Their haircuts were identical
The carriage eased to a halt with a smooth pneumatic hiss
And we disembarked to the maze warren of consumerism
Past nauseating perfume counters and racks of violent dress shirts
Pots, pans, the appliances of the elite, smiling fools
Did the smile, or grimace?
I was tempted by the racks of books, but breathed deeply and moved on
To exit alone and naked from the side door
Into the oily alley, humid with the thick summer air
My fellow travelers were gone
The clean white buildings were no more
The breath of cool air absent
I could not find the door behind me
There was no past
So moved crab-like and cautiously down the broken, sticky pavement
Garbage caressing my ankles
The house at the foot of the hill had a few tired trees
The first green living things I had seen
I was drawn to them
The east wing of the tall granite house
Angular pyramid of modernism
Was under construction
In the rooms the workmen come and go
Speaking of Tampico
The elevators were stopped
The modular worker’s quarters in the yard had showers
I pulled on a worn but sturdy canvas coverall and thick boots
The owner of the house arrived in his perfect three-piece suit
And feline entourage
He was younger than I would have expected
I did not realize I had expectations
He offered me food, but there was none
And he left for the white city
Cybele lying in wait like a lover
Sardis II: Selene Seeks The Sun
Ride, ride the unbidden moon
Hovering the cloud-ridden sky
Above indigo tree shadow
There is no breath
The black clock is silent
The fish do not swim
The cats do not breathe
There is no swish of blood in my temple
No pounding threat of orgasm
No breath of air
There is only this moment
This one secret moment
Seeking the
Lost
Unbidden sun
I want for love
