Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Lace Ladder

Lay out a cardinal feather,
a blonde stone,
a ripe orange,
a sulfur-tipped match,
a jar of deep blue pigment,
and a new cake of lavender soap. 

When helpless before wickedness,
smell good,
wear silver crescent earrings,
and get straight to the heart of it. 

Use the lace ladder
to rise like sandalwood smoke;
use the velvet pouch
to hold back a trick and a trifle. 

If she loves you,
the wooden gate will swing open by itself under cool stars.
If she desires you,
the clematis will open its blooms before dawn. 

When helpless before wickedness,
do all of this,
smile like a sly saint,
and give wickedness what she wants.
_____

for dverse poetry

35 comments:

  1. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?

    And yes, I did have to look up the word "clematis". Curse you for making learn things and stuff.

    Now if you'll excuse me I have to go read The Fall Of Ra for the fifth time.

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  2. a little wickedness can be a good thing if the flower is open to it...

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  3. Oh, I like this one a lot. Have I ever mentioned that one of my very favorite musicals is none other than..."Wicked"?

    Pat
    www.critteralley.blogspot.com

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  4. so mote it be

    wickedly wonderful
    and sensuous

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  5. The heat and humidity must be getting to the brains' of your spirits.

    Another one packed with powerful images.

    (By the way, I printed up your poem and framed it today. On the cheap, so the frame job is not as sharp as the poem deserves, but it's ready to hang up. In the next few weeks, I'll take some pictures of my writing space--that's still evolving--and post them.)

    I really AM green. I'll have to make my visits more sparing (yeah, right.)

    I'm still reading...but getting closer.

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  6. Love that visual with the clematis and a lace ladder! And lavender soap. :)

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  7. a sly saint .. my kinda saint

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  8. A recipe for magic. I love the word "wickedness" in this one---it really hangs on after reading the poem (you know how some ideas echo after reading poems).

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  9. Oh my GOODNESS, this is so wonderful! "the wooden gate will swing open by itself under cool stars" - such a brilliant line! Fantastic, Shay!

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  10. "When helpless before wickedness/smell good..." I've always belonged to the "If you can't beat it, seduce it school,' myself. The opening stanza is just celestial, and there's no draw down all the way through the finely minted descriptors that breath such life into each phrase. You make wickedness seem very lucky here.

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  11. Love all the colors and textures rich throughout these verses.

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  12. Yes yes. An exquisite ritual for beating Eros at her own game. - Brendan

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  13. Wicked is as wicked does,
    especially in the name of love! Wrap ritual in the right scent, and you'll be amazed at the magick that can happen. Wicked write, by the way!

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  14. Are you a good witch or a bad witch? :)

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  15. {sigh} i'd LOVE to be helpless before wickedness...

    anyone who says otherwise after reading this is just plain lying!

    sumptious!
    dani ♥

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  16. When helpless before wickedness,
    smell good,
    wear silver crescent earrings,
    and get straight to the heart of it.

    Fabulous!

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  17. Lovely.... so who is seducing who?

    you make being wicked so captivating

    like the images of these lines:
    " Use the lace ladder
    to rise like sandalwood smoke;
    use the velvet pouch
    to hold back a trick and a trifle."

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  18. A delight - I really felt pulled in to your brilliant exploration.

    Seductive and alluring and great writing.

    Fantastic

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  19. Well I know what I have to do tonight.

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  20. love the wickedness...and I love coming here to read your words.

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  21. the gorgeous scent of wicked petals... =)

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  22. To Randy Behavior: Who cares?

    This is one of the best poems I've read tonight. Thanks.

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  23. Seduced by wickedness..mmm...got to smell good! ;)

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  24. love the oriental feeling of this...took me right to a sultry 1001 nights atmosphere...and acting a bit wicked every once and a while is not a bad thing...smiles

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  25. "When helpless before wickedness,
    do all of this,
    smile like a sly saint,
    and give wickedness what she wants."

    Oh, and how delicious can be the surrender. Brilliant write.

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  26. Your image and your words are very beautiful. I loved it!

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  27. I hope wooden gates are swinging open and clematis are blooming everywhere.

    Trifle? Must EVERYBODY be speaking of food when I am famished??
    xoox

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  28. I love the idea of being helpless before wickedness... and letting wickedness have her way! I don't have enough wicked little pleasures in my life, and I'm living all that vicariously through you!

    Found you at Dani's site, BTW. She posted you there. Glad we are back in touch! Peace, Amy
    http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/normal-is/

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  29. Amazing texture, gifts for all the senses ... caught up in the lace ladder and lavender soap!

    Divine!!

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  30. I think its hard to get sexy into poetry but you have done it. I really loved how you laced this together. Beautifully done! ~ Rose

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  31. This is so fabulous. The whole idea of a lace ladder is just incredible.

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