REMORSE

My mentor, Ronald H. Bayes, is retiring. He leaves behind a legacy of over forty years in service to the St. Andrews community. The following poem appeared first in KING OF AUGUST published by Curveship Press (1975), and reappeared in GUISES: A CHAINSONG FOR THE MUSE published by The St. Andrews Press (1992).


SAMVIZKUBIT
(Remorse)

Hands
grow out of my head,

Pull
my eyelids back.

You are gone.
I built the wrack.

I turned the wheel,
smiled as your bones cracked.

Hands
grow out of my head.

Dearest!
Dearest!

I, day after night
cannot close my eyes.

Day after night jut
the jaw, the teeth toward death.

Hands grow out
of my head and

I cannot close my eyes
(day after night),

Their fingers refuse
to allow it.

You are gone.
No assuagement.