Sunday, October 26, 2014

Shepherd's night

Ewes, don't hold your milk- for you are safe
no fangs shall harm you whilst I am
awake to watch and hear the hiss of footsteps in the grass
dawn on dusk, no damnation to haunt you.

I will call for the third time again
maybe like Peter I will hear an answer, maybe not
it is a form of betrayal: denial that munches harsh
but I will never sleep with its guilt

Sleep safe goats, sleep with thick wool, sheep
for the chambers of soft sleep are painless
to the jab of fangs and the noise of panic
sleep sound, sleep safe

Be safe, fear no fangs but the one who calls them
 by fault, or by trial
for I am the only fool, the sick shepherd,
who calls onto the wolf, every night to his herd
I drown the sheep in nightmares
and keep the brown-eyed village girl on the run.

No comments:

Post a Comment