Chaste Octaves
written by: Iris Orpi
@irisorpi
I understand desire
a little better
when I sing it a capella
when I put it to my lips
like the hand of inspiration
instead of an aching emptiness
or a need that can burn
hotter than reason
so I can approach each longing
like a natural crescendo that
did not arrive unannounced
but left a lipstick stain
on the rim of each stanza
and trace the arch
of each bridge with
the same voice that speaks
when negotiating a dream
and can stand naked
without succumbing to
the cold and unchangeability
of a closed chapter,
a sealed goodbye
the swallowed craving
antipasti for the senses
gaining wisdom
in the parsing of hunger
and the elegant way it breaks
into sweet notes
next to the G-clef,
the center of my flesh
the altar where mastery
marries reverence
an intuitive synchronicity
and a repeating chorus:
it’s not the forbidden
that makes you a sinner
you are the melody,
you are the melody
the hands that did not
touch the keys
nor pluck the strings
the perfected lyrics
like curling smoke
against the unadorned
white walls of silence
- Where The Light Hits The Water - January 24, 2018
- Silken And Mauve - January 7, 2018
- Speak And It Shall Be Dawn - December 21, 2017
