Steve Downes Poet Free verse

Christmas At Christchurch

I feel translucent 
	a man of marble skin 
	as if dreaming my motions 
	every step a tread in water
	each reach of my hand 
	a ghost grip touches 
	but nothing holds and yet 
	I clutch these stones and 
	iron spear barricades 
	as a sea-snail would the bedrock 
	for this is my folly 
	to hug close the masonry of charity 

	I feel nothing 
	no remorse runs down my arms 
	to my useless wrists 
	no rage 
	twists my mouth into rabid snarl 
	no pleasure lifts my face 
	from the footfalls 
	of those celestial beings 
	bustling above

	not even a soaked black wall 
	on which I am a shadow 
	penetrates my deadened hide 

	I feel grotesque 
	I am a gargoyle of flesh and bone 
	sown into the fabric of these 
	towers with closed doorways 
	that form broken arch homes 
	for broken things 
	but 

	no longer am I broken 
	I have embraced 
	the cold and hunger 
	of my mouth and my soul 
	I am free of this place 

	Yet 

	here I am still 
	here for you to see 
	if you can stomach 
	to see me 

From The Pagan Field (print 1996, eBook 2013) available FREE until 15 Nov. at 
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pagan-Field-extended-E-ebook/dp/B00F395DAU

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Sara Kendrick November 13, 2013 at 8:45 AM Interesting work that you have penned in these lines..I am glad that I chose this one to read today..It has great expressiveness and is emotive..Sara Sara Kendrick November 13, 2013 at 8:49 AM I looked up Christchurch Ireland and found some pictures..It is a massive masonary structure which could feel cold without a warm inviting congregation..One shot was of what looked like a Japanese Magnolia in blossom but I could not tell for sure if that was what species that was blooming..Sara