Museum of the Lost Face

Museum of the Lost Face
© Surazeus
2025 07 14

Imperfect as this life can seem to be 
I will open the can of sweet cream corn 
to eat the beauty of the setting sun 
that screams with pleasure in the tangled trees 
while I row my boat on the dreamless stream 
to free the country of mad prisoners. 

Each time she calls me on the telephone 
I carve another name on the death bone 
to buy bold confidence with fractured coins 
while staring at the ceiling of the mind, 
then glare down at the wicked human race 
and sneer at their pathetic games of fame. 

My strength is proof of infidelity 
defined by dictionary of street slang 
to mean reprisal of the haughty clown 
who steals the family jewels from his god 
after he swallows handful of red pills 
that blow his mind with television truth. 

Despite ringing of the bicycle bell 
to warn the city of the hurricane, 
the lonely girl in her hospital bed 
devises ways to keep them occupied 
when children wake from their magazine world, 
eager to shoot guns at shadows of fear. 

Awake in unfamiliar place of faith, 
somewhere beyond the rainbow of her fear, 
I forge new vision of the holy ghost 
wearing flower dress as she fries pancakes 
and pours syrup of her mouth on my heart 
because our weird world is falling apart. 

I search for truth on your side of the river 
that splits the difference through theology 
based on transcendent vision of the fool 
who buries religious lies in the field 
that shimmers red with the Indian Paintbrush 
so I try to sleep off this tragedy. 

Foul aroma of stories in new books, 
that whitewash cruel history of slavery 
with lies that slaves were happy for the work 
and rejoiced in the dirt shacks where they lived 
when they sing the blues in hot cotton fields, 
infiltrate my brain with wealth privilege. 

Stopping in Museum of the Lost Face, 
Sylphus stares at portrait of Mona Lisa 
who smiles at him with knowingness of love, 
so he takes her hand and they walk away 
far down the highway of the singing ghost 
who sells salvation to the bitter king.