every imprecation falls
lips spit cacology
Lamia’s grief devours
fin de siècle kerfs
with rusty halberds

sharp crack of violent intent
rustling crash
the forest felled
thick rubber crushes
the squirrel’s spine

No! here it plays out
clamp my ears
pantomime an oh
too late I realize
pour concrete in my eyes

there my brother skids
across the pavement
vehicle a weapon
extension of her vacuous mind
culpability resides with the lusus naturae

triggered memories
image is trapped
burning into me
elaborative encoding dance
accomplices have run

serologic atonement
Matthew said speak and if they listen
deeper yet, understand in Greek
you regain them
But why must I be the one?

if they don’t give a fuck
about the preventable destruction
how could they hear my lament?
no use bucking to prevent binds
empathy turns a blind eye

zoonosis, variola major virus
can’t kill what isn’t alive
maculopapular rash
fluid filled pustules
they promise it’s eradicated

hyaloplasm fights desiccation
ground substance inclusions athwart
I assault my eyes with chainsaws
embedded with diamond grit
this is the power it takes to clear sight

Notes/definitions:

imprecation: curse
cacology: bad diction
Lamia: in ancient Greek mythology she was the Queen of Libya that had an affair with Zeus and bore his children. Hera, Zeus’ wife was so jealous she had the children murdered (or in one telling forced Lamia to consume them). Either way Lamia was driven mad with suffering and was transformed into a horror that ate children.
fin de siècle: has several association one is the end of the century (it’s meaning in French) a time of great upheaval, mourning, and fear; a particularly sophisticated kind of suffering; an art movement in France especially the Symbolists and expressionist paintings like Munch’s The Scream.
kerf: slit or notch made by a cutting tool
rusty halberd: two-handed pole weapon used in the medieval times – it was often allowed to rust so that even if the initial wound inflicted wasn’t fatal the resulting infection (usually gangrene) might be.
vacuous: having or showing a lack of intelligence; empty
culpability: Culpability descends from the Latin concept of fault (culpa). The concept of culpability is intimately tied up with notions of agency, freedom and free will. All are commonly held to be necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for culpability. In explanations and predictions of human action and inaction, culpability is a measure of the degree to which an agent, such as a person, can be held morally or legally responsible. Culpability marks the dividing line between moral evil, like murder, for which someone may be held responsible and natural evil, like earthquakes, for which no one can be held responsible. – from Wikipedia
lusus naturae: a monstrosity; person or animal hideously deformed
elaborative encoding: psychological term pertaining to memory. In order to remember something well, whether an autobiographical or semantic detail elaborative rehearsal occurs when you associate new information with something you already know; you encode (store) memories by repeating this information. Strongly reinforced encoded memories are more available for retrieval (or recall).
serology: is the study of blood serum and other bodily fluids
atonement: reparation for wrongs committed
Matthew 18:15-20 New Standard Revised Version of the Bible: 15“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.16But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.17If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.19Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.20For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
bucking: process of chainsaw cutting the felled tree into logs; if you buck correctly gravity helps prevent binds
bind: when the chainsaw is at risk of getting stuck or is stuck in the log compression – an unsafe situation
zoonosis: is an infectious disease that can be passed between non-human animals and humans and vice versa
variola major virus: Smallpox in its most deadly form with a mortality rate of 30-35%. The disease was declared eradicated in 1979 by the World Health Organization.
hyaloplasm: medical term: the clear, fluid portion of cytoplasm as distinguished from the granular and netlike components. Also called ground substance.
desiccate: to dry out completely
diamond grit embedded blade: chainsaw blade required to cut concrete