(who lived 40 years in the desert alone and clad only in his own hair)
Kiss the feet
(feel the fur)
Kiss the beard above the feet
(feel the fur)
Part the beard and kiss his knees
(feel the bone)
Part the beard and kiss his balls
(feel the fur)
Feel the lust
(feel the fur)
Part the beard and kiss his belly
(feel the fur)
Rise up and part the beard
and kiss his nipples
(taste the flesh)
Lick his armpits
(savour the salt)
Rise further, kiss his neck
(feel the fur)
Feel the lust
(feel the fur)
Kiss his lips
(taste the sadness)
and, avoiding the banalities
of penetration and ejaculation,
weep for all the misery
(kiss the wet fur)
Weep for all the cruelty
and wickedness of Man
(die in the fur)
Dedicated to the great Russian poet, Genrikh Sapgir
Anthony Weir