9 Black Crosses

There was violence in the palms On slapping shores, ointments, and balms Wet waterboys in mountain town Where he danced his old love gone A vision of our haunted jazz Separate the mom, apart the dad A clawfoot tub, pagan moonblood Immerse the legs, the face, the back A sea warp sting stung in his throat Started the shower, blew ghostly smoke A winter’s mist, its frozen kiss His frostbit lip, his evening robe A sad child’s game, a family’s stones Some former friends, some known unknowns Screamed I’m police and baptist too Done tipped them nice, done ate alone So where’d he go, what was his name Born sobbing fear, lived, longed for pain We kissed his cheek, skipped stones up creek We laughed and danced on beds he made But find him in that mountain town Where thought a prince, he burned his crown No old love lost, just turned and tossed With nine black crosses upside down, upside down