poem: ugly on, charge full

 

Eugene Berman - Cassandra

I will horrify you,

 

 soon enough.

 

I will chew you

 

down into

 

an honest man,

 

Unsnarl your body

 

into

 

the first letter

 

of the

 

Arabic alphabet.

 

With needles,

 

create a void

 

 only a God

 

could fill.

 

Who is

 

the butcher

 

who is

 

the knife?