Le Poéte Maudit
Thomas DeFreitas
I do not approve of death
Unless it is sensual,
Something forbidden, ecstatic
Entered into.
A sweet desideratum and delight.
The torpidinal
Stygian kisses
Of an ageless avatar.
I will not venture into love
Unless it is secular,
Some stultifying wine or water
Swallowed.
Astonishing intoxicant!
The vertiginal
Liquid image
Of a masterful tempter.
I cannot accept hostility
Unless it is intimate,
The armor of the palpitating heart
Removed.
A flesh-and-bone opponent.
The original
Sinister body
Of an unabashed warrior.