One In Three

Offspring of the rib Soft enticement of the flesh --- Woman beauty draped Mother rebelling Children to sag on the breast Eve pining at God Mother submitting Heaven's pleasure in the skin Mary, bringing the Christ Magdalene, my thirst For caress of oil and love Open core of milk Summon Anat too With Aphrodite, Venus kiss And the open pea All one in love's three The triumvirate of praise The edge of prayer Goddesses are whores And whores as goddess reigns still Love sells men cheap to dreams Samson, not I, Menelaus too, heart blind Left me stupefied And yet I am sure Any woman's love is better Than no love at all Mother's are virgins In son's eyes, wives are his shrines And whores are his peace Where sin mars desire And the moon sets blood on fire For breast and children.