Ghost Of Tolstoy

Ghost Of Tolstoy
© Surazeus
2024 12 22

If I walk backward into my old house 
two thousand miles away across the land 
where I used to live forty years ago, 
I might review what happened in the past 
to understand how I got where I am, 
but I just stare at blank face on the wall. 

I lie on my side by the Christmas tree, 
reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, 
while Mount Rainier shimmers with silver snow 
framed by square window of the living room, 
while Reagan rants about the evil empire 
where ghost of Tolstoy wanders in the woods. 

Eight years later, while I stroll with the crowd 
of punks on University Avenue, 
I meet the ghost of Tolstoy by the bank, 
old Russian forest wizard with long beard 
and ice blue eyes who walked across Siberia 
and escaped by ship to live in Seattle. 

Sitting on bench under the tall red alder, 
I write lines of verse in the black sketchbook 
with the fountain pen full of demon blood, 
then Valentin, the Russian forest wizard, 
reads my poem with ice-melodious voice, 
then declares, "True poets are always mad!" 

While sitting in window of my apartment 
above bookstore named Beauty and the Books, 
I see bright flash of lighting open portal 
through which Athena on twelve wings of flame 
appears to me with eyes of blazing faith, 
then bears me to the peak of Mount Rainier. 

"True name of this sacred mountain," she sings 
with voice of ocean waves in swirling snow, 
"is Mount Takoma, Star Goddess of Milk, 
equal to Parnassus and Helicon 
for Muses who inspire poets to sing 
emanate from crystal heart of this peak." 

Handing me eye-phone and maple guitar, 
Athena touches my forehead with light 
that fills my heart with mission to compose 
epic poem about wise philosophers 
whose ideas form dream ontology 
that programs how our brains perceive the world. 

Following Jonah sea to shining sea, 
I avoid sitting at the White House gate 
to hide my face as the messiah sleuth 
with seraphic mask of the cosmic herald 
to prophesy fall of America 
so we can create free Zarathia.