WHEN POETS DREAMED

She rises early from bed Runs to the mirror The bruises inflicted in moments of fury He kneels beside her once more Whispers a promise “Next time I'll break every bone in your body” And the well-wishers let the devil in And if the river ran dry they'd deny it happening As the cardplayers deal their hands From the bottom of the deck Row upon row of feudal houses blow away Medicine for the popular complaint When the poets dreamed of Angels What did they see? History lined up in a flash at their backs When the poets dreamed of Angels What did they see? The bishops and knights well placed to attack