Nabokov’s Interim, or Nezahualcoyotl’s flowersong

A finer thing, a garland verse
to tour the Hungry Coyote’s mind
ohuaya – bloom –
six hundred years

A choir sings of material things
turquoise, shell and coral chips
bemask his artificial face
Were his lips red?
What filled his mouth?

Here’s what:
“Even jade disintegrates…
even the quetzal feather fades…
We’re not here long”
(then gone for good)

A florid theme to ruminate
in aggregate or solitaire
Ohuaya, ohuyaya!
he sang, full-throated,
ravenous

* * *

This entry was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 13:46 and is filed under Poetry/Literature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Nabokov’s Interim, or Nezahualcoyotl’s flowersong”

  1. My Adventures… 100,000 Poets Day « Interrupting Infinity says:
    28 October, 2011 at 03:49

    [...] Ruth, Valery, sometimes accompanied by the brilliant, unconventional improvisation of X. I read “Nabokov’s Interim, or Nezahualcoyotl’s flowersong” and “Resulting from the Letter [...]

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