Melinda Giordano
Twilight
The sun lingered above the sea,
Saturated with flames and sweat.
Rivers of fury girdled the ferocious star,
And the bright misfiring of alchemy
Roared from its boiling alembic.
As it drew closer to the horizon
The ocean became inflamed and bruised
In colors that reflected the sun’s anger:
Lavender, mauve, bronze and cherry -
A pretty abrasion, this aftermath of spite.
And as the sun sank into the protesting waters
Shells were ground by the heel of the star’s tepid humor,
And grottos and tridents disappeared,
Becoming rocks once more
In a primordial synergy.
But finally, perceiving the sun’s chaotic mischief,
The moon rose, shivering with galaxies.
She consoled the tides,
She healed the scalded waters,
And cast light that yielded comfort like laudanum:
Capturing the sea in a cold languor,
In a lunar tincture of euphoria.
