A Fourth of Nine
Like the globe she dances
Spinning on pointed toe
Pole to pole she meets
With arms en haut to show
Perfect orb, she crystal glow
Out as far as up, and
Down as far as in.
Jormungandr swim
Slicing through the molten core,
A double sided blade,
To each degree of astrolabe
Swim figure eight eternity.
Diametric pins astride
The face of ticking time
A fourth of nine
Then up to meet
Parallel at noonday chimes
The halfway of the day
Announce his symmetry.
Just like in hand at quarter three
That teatime hour, gone
Like falling sand, the face
On chain of gold or silver,
Through the hunter’s window.
Once again at midnight black
The arms of time rejoin
Same and like is to the day
The middle note is rung.
And poles so far
Like penché toes
Pointed to sky and hell
Now both to heaven
Two star-ward gazing hares
The black and white of chess in place
Adjacent palette foes.
My lover and my enemy
For this minute of the day
A fleeting time to my dismay
Are sleeping wed bedfellows.
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