Bellumamor

I.


brick 
     by salty

          brick 
               by sharpened

                    pick 
                         by rope                by meter
                                                                 you will scale this fortress         


enter      unhurried 
like glacier water      extracted 
from its own hardened flesh   seeping      

into blood-fed coir     fortifying 
a pope's lifetime of malice     and deliberate
like resin oozing      encasing spider silk     stifling 
dark 
     native 
          inspiration

there will be no purity of tongue

no gaping glossolalic rituals

without thought     you will hew mortar viscera     and -- carelessly -- 
toss filigreed vines    tethered 
out the window     
     then
          withdraw


you will leave residue
     filaments under an aurora     degraded
     fragile lattice     ravaged


but before the ascent
you will board a pontoon      bloated
cross a moat     
to slay other nightmares
     the ones that live 
             in the darkness of your holy men's tales    embedded
             in your own father's cross-eyed stares
     the ones that cry out for you in midst of prayer
     the ones that make you despise difference

you will continue on

brick 
     by lonely 
          brick 
               by cornerstone     dismantling all meaning


II.


i -- in turn --    
 will     brick 
                 by fortified brick
                      by iron     wrought
                           by the cadence of the earth's countless revolutions


erect another fortress   massive
     on foundations     mighty


and drape skin and fur  impenetrable
spin yarn     endless
     draw silk       exquisite
               pull timber     and latch on


protected from venom
sheltered from full assault     I -- from this safety
-- will sling barbs 
     like the ones that live 
          deep in your nightmares    in your
          prayers   in your holy men's eyes

there will be no one left