1. Having 3 days and 3 nights prayed—
in dour, disgusting garb—
Esther now, outfitted like a queen,
no longer a drab,
tic-toc’d in heels to the dread seance. 2. The moon was fat, gross—
overgrown—amid copper shards of stars.
It be a full-orbed moon; a moon of Bright Nights;
an April/Nisan moon. 3. Radiant, majestic, beautiful, Esther exited,
and arrived, every atom of her a king’s consort. 4. Fear thunder-blasted Esther’s heart;
it lightning’d her innermost veins. 5. After seven doors unlocked for her,
came she The Queen to King Tax,
flounced on a throne of gold and jewels. 6. He was almost inconspicuously vigorous;
exuded visceral Glamour:
Clearly, he could gallop to trumpets and bray at War.
Violence—armipotent*—defined his bio. 7. Excruciating, splendid Oppression,
the royal glance struck at Esther.
She paled, quailed, faltered—
fell—leaned on an equally quivering maid. 8. Esther, fearful, felt as stiff
as an icon in a wax museum. 9. Seeing his queen faint, King Tax
rushed to palm her chin and stroke her hair. 10. “Beloved wife, only subjects without appointment,
who creep, peeping at my feet,
need be stabbed into the floor” 11. Now, King Tax brushed his gold scepter,
worshipfully across Queen Esther’s throat,
raising a hairline blush, and said,
“Speak openly.” 12. Esther explained, “Thou resemblest so much
an angel of the Hebrew God,
I had to tremble:
“Thou art dreadful—and so marvellous.” 13. Suddenly, Esther passed out; slampered up
(collapsed);
her marrow-bones—knees—
once copper, seemed sand. 14. Agitated, King Tax snatched up his bride,
and schlepped her to his—their—sleeping quarters.
Doted now his heart on Esther—
just as a lion is pacified
by wine—
OR by a spider’s bite or a snake’s fangs.
[Halifax (Nova Scotia) 21 & 22 décembre mmxvi]
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*Powerful in arms.