Long Flew The Carrion Crow

Long flew the carrion crow 
to find this feat 
they came over frozen seas 
pale as winter roses 
and along the jagged edge of the ivory coast 
they drifted over forests forgotten by men 
where green eyed lions turn and pace 
and iron mountains ringed with fire 
stab the sky 
and I saw them as they scattered down 
and gathered, like one legged beggars 
around the bones of their messiah

Yes, long flew these dark and hungry angels 
through labyrinths of wind 
to reach these ruts of ruin 
this twisted empty throne, where echoes rule

And I watched them as they fed 
through the windows of my skull 
grinning among swords, and seashells 
and the blood of dead worlds, red as summer wine

And when they lifted, wheeling into eastern skies 
one shimmering ebony cloud of wings 
climbing toward the sun 
I felt peace 
my familiar cloak of flesh, my eyes 
once haunted by a thousand lies 
picked clean

And the subjects of my carnal court 
all my sweet medusas 
the jesters with their velvet horns 
all the sightless minions 
dancing in the shadow of my decay 
gone, like roaches at the dawn of day 
and in the still that followed 
nothing remained 
but my soul

Long rang the halls of Eden 
in those naked days 
brown skinned and grape stained 
I feasted, no appetite denied 
many were the apples, burgundy sweet 
that I stole 
from the tender gardens of Mephistopheles

And all the while 
behind the bronze doors of Pandora 
In a dark I dared not know 
Shiva waited 
to awaken me 
to kill me

Long flew the carrion crow 
and with him flew I 
across Odin’s rainbow 
into my own Valhalla 
grateful only for this perfect death 
the seed of all becomings