from “Violence”

I am breathing.

I am breathing
lightly
as, 
     light 
as,
      shell—
             / breath
as,
      moth—
             / breath
as,
      bird—
            / breath
moon’s
faces a
triptych
sets
Mars’ red
against
turquoise—
  a sister,
       (less 6)

~

serious now,
it is—
        (a
purple sonority
pageant of silks,
their faces—
dive of bird
cuts through
watered silk
finds its level
    (frozen)
we are mouth
           -bound
crystalline
                gold
cold— 
          a)
woman walks into winter

© C. Murray 2022

First published belfield literary review, issue 2, spring 2022, Eds. Paul Perry and Niamh Campbell.

BLR