Slopes Of Helicon

Slopes Of Helicon
© Surazeus
2024 01 09

The telephone on the library wall 
wants to know when I will escape the church 
by riding super-turtle of the mind 
who zooms me down the highway of success 
to stand on clear-cut slopes of Helicon 
and weep for trees who can no longer sing. 

My ghostly footsteps in the sparkling snow 
indicates to the most persistent sleuth 
that I passed by ten thousand years ago 
on my way to grand temple of success 
that vanished from the slopes of Helicon 
where the goat man wears my face as his mask. 

Descending ladder down stone tower wall 
from the window where Rapunzel has died, 
I eat sour pomegranate of her heart 
while Baphomet explains key to success 
lies in which way up slopes of Helicon 
I climb with goal of intentional faith. 

Through mist of time on Jordan River shore 
I see Jesus talking to thirty clowns 
about putting secret things in the mouth 
so we can weigh the wisdom of success 
till he falls dead on slopes of Helicon 
after he throws seeds in the flowing stream. 

Trees sprout from small seeds scattered by his hand 
that bear quinces, figs, apples, dates, and pears, 
so I haul seven wagons of ripe fruit 
to Byzantium where I sell success 
so I can dance on slopes of Helicon 
with Artemis who wants to marry me. 

Left eye of Bear Girl in the dream cave 
weeps one tear of blood bright as the moon 
that floods the valley of the laughing horse 
so now I understand pain of success 
that cripples me on slopes of Helicon 
though I flop around with wings of desire. 

When my assassin finds me by the church, 
we lounge and talk about the singing grass 
that channels ghosts of the dead to our brains, 
so I gesture toward home of my success 
bombed to rubble on slopes of Helicon 
where no one hears my mother weep again. 

My father trades me for the wingless horse 
so I leap beyond gravity of hope 
to walk in Heaven with the faceless God 
who laughs at my false notions of success 
till I return to slopes of Helicon 
where I write everything with words of blood.