My Neighbour Is Dancing Poem by GORDON GILHULY

my neighbour is dancing
I see the dark terrible shadows
of madness flickering under his door
and I am afraid

during the day I sometimes see him
in the city he gathers things -
things that he seeks out with a
zealot's grasp - broken things

old men and women who cannot
remember their own usefulness
who have been abandoned
by their own children

young black men who cannot
remember their destiny
who have been driven backwards into their
own crossfire, their own rusty cages

trees have been gathered - whole forests
farm land, prairies and rivers
even the air is broken and has
become fuel for the conflagration

the High Priests have been consulted
the augurs have eviscerated the sacrificial
lambs and read the message sent by god
the time for fires and dancing has come

my neighbour is dancing
his fire is the brother to the ovens
for he dances on the
promised lessons that were never learned

revenge - the oldest lie - is become
the new Commandment and Xenophobe
with his eyes wide open sits in the chair
of Justice, scales in his bloody hand

my neighbour is dancing
his drum is made of gold and it
makes powerful magic, summoning
all its brethren to my neighbour's hands


Mammon - the oldest god - sits on
the High Throne asking only blood
and ignorance as testimony from
those who would enter the Kingdom

my neighbour is dancing
your neighbour is dancing
be afraid
be very afraid