Gregory Gunn’s most recent poem to appear here was Lake Accord (August 2012).
Provocation Inquisition
By Gregory Gunn
Rooting my eyes to
the knotted spot upon a tree
like a revolutionary
militant among the trimmed-
down budding branches
of spring, I pinned ears
back for sea-ship’s timbre
as well as caroler song
and endured the bothersome
gnaws of gnats on their last
legs in my body hair.
And at hand among
the olive entreating melody-
makers, flanked by
callused stalks I took notice
of the threshed blades
of cutting edge repartee:
No insidious droppings on
magnolia blossoms, amid
bipedal parasites for you possess
the aptitude of admiration.
Proffer your exposed
essence to the dwarf sun,
your masculinity
to any experienced
and attractive damsel;
instigate the brushfire
of your self-reproach, cook up
a raging Greek Helios.
Accordingly the gusty milieu
which throughout the afternoon
had arranged regaling regattas
through the dusty domain
grew tempestuous,
converted into an arbour-
destroying wind;
the yellow sun sank low
and requested my
rawhide come home.
Fantastic poem. Integrity, incredible rhythms and humor too.