The Nyro Poems - Majestic Poem by Warren Falcon

for His Winking Majesty


1

1974

'Tornado spawn, ' he says,
gesturing to ourselves and
laughing,

'Chapter and verse -
The storm darkens us around.'

We take cover from God under
a broad-leaf low-lying rhododendron
hunched over a hand-rolled cigarette
thumbs can touch but not each other.
Shivering every toke all reaches
curtail beneath chaste hail.

In mud gulch, percussive rain on
sheltering leaves, we sing Nyro
(the high notes were easier then)
as frightened of each other as we
are of the gale - the sermons
remain between us unspoken
but for thunder.

Stoned Soul Picnic, Timer, *
calms or tires our terror now
Lear-caged in storm sheer,
odors of tobacco, sweat, of loam,
and lust, hair-wet, heady.

Biblical fear - nostrils flare -
smells pungent, sweet.

Punished flesh leans into ground.

Our roots there ungrieved,
and are ungrieved still.


2

2010

Laura of the soulful trills,

how the years have spilled
since Tennessee mountain
torments reigned where he
was once and only a Monday
King after all, a god of storms
chased downhill to shaken limbs,
prophetic stumps triumphantly
singing to leaves.


Majestic, Where are you now?
What of your harlequin shoes
and those suicidal crocuses?


I remain stuck in King James, entangled
in lyrical tongues, Revelation's old virgin.

I stink still of old sweat having long forsaken
those litigious Congregations.

By Him, not forsaken yet, I've sworn off
cigarettes, a penance long overdue, rather
old fears hand-rolled in onion skins brittle.

Remembering distant
thumbs' refrains I
am ill now,

this Nyro song here to calm,


praying for another storm...


3

backyard empty clothesline

silk slip
one pin
down
dips
shyly in
brick shadows'
pornographic breezes

I sing to knees now

when did I marry Lonely?
can't recall but fell kid-hard


4



beyond Manhattan Bridge
sudden heat lightening
a good night with cool rain

old vinyl Nyro

needle scratches

done with song


*Titles of two songs by Laura Nyro

**Laura Nyro (October 18,1947 April 8,1997) is an American composer, lyricist, singer and pianist