20 Love Poems and a Song of Despair

the man who lied to me knew that immortality is the best kind of lie that pain is closer to the soul than happiness secrets known only by the old watchmakers and the erudite antiquarians men who lie read every book with their fingers they know that leaves are the plaits of virgins unwounded with bloody hands on the cross and letters are the thorns within the heart of every Laura betrothed for ever nevermore a wife only the sea is for the whales’ fishermen old whore with hair on her chin the only true men who learn the salty taste of death at daybreak