Love Poem: The Armour of Yang
David Smalling Avatar
Written by: David Smalling

The Armour of Yang

So you too
Read and was self hypnotized
And thought I knew
The chiaroscurro
Was not the branches shadow
As you heard and went in and out of light
Ah poor self blinded griot
And dumb guilotine to which he stumbles
I wanted a revolution
They gave me a virtual riot.

I did not give my number
To the lady I met on the train
For how else do we avoid such a blunder
To prime the flesh
That the ego may not be satisfied again.
Virtual love affairs are not my kind
She was my wife from youth
Before time estranged us
Some polish in me
Could reflect no light in that presence
So much loss
Where light cannot shine.

The world will have its way
Its belief
For I am clay
And water is all our grief
O but I am astound, and still am
That any love 
In such a process brief
Could molest heart
By self distraction
And I am left
With all this unfulfilled demand
I have no voucher for.

So you too
Read the griot's metaphors
And thought you understood
Measuring words
With the depth of your heart.
Ever since I had this quantum gift
I too marvel
At those who marvelled at it,
And from the shadows
I could not see
There was a pilgrim there who cried.