1. Murder in the Green Zone

Years of no stars, or few;
they said that all the stars were on the ground.

A trouble that can't be named,
white phosphorus spies in the castle walls.


   2. Legitimate Danger

The darkness give me you again
Game played more than a hundred years ago

The cold, shallow music sinks
High mutiny avalanche
Your soft hand on my brow

Too flat, but superb.

   3. After Al-Hallaj

O Thou Who art as close to me
as my own skin, as far
as Time is from Eternity;
things have learned to walk which ought to crawl.

Thou blazest forth before my gaze
till everything seems Thine,
and then Thou fadest--all is nil,
for things have learned to walk which ought to crawl.

This cannot be Thy distance,
for that would fortify the fool I am;
nor can it be Thy nearness,
for I would not be lonesome still:
and things have learned to walk which ought to crawl.

Neither can it be Thy war,
for that would mean my instant destruction;
nor yet Thy peace, that had solaced me--
but things have learned to walk which ought to crawl.


K. S.