Death and The Maiden: an Acrostic
Bethany W Pope (1995)
The poet’s acrostic project involves “four deconstructed acrostic sestinas, twenty-four double-acrostic sonnets, and an acrostic specular. The story is orphic.” This is the acrostic specular at the centre of her project.
Death and The Maiden: an Acrostic
In the house of Death pain and pleasure are one.
Never mind the face he wears; those bare sockets, that sharp grin.
Grasp him, hard. Push against those jutting hip bones.
In this tangle of sheets (scented with sex and rot)
Reason dissolves like bone in acid, revealing something else
Under the mask. There is something beautiful,
Madness, perhaps, or possibly truth.
In the joyful agony of this moment a revelation blooms.
Muscles crowd in to cover the bone. Naked,
Under a sheen of silk and lily-dew,
Skeletal hands clutch fat, round paps.
Nearing the threshold of something unspeakable,
Open your eyes; behold your lover. Tension
Contorts the fibers of your heart.
Trembling limbs threaded together; a blissful arrhythmia.
Even Death can learn the pleasure of a shudder.
Even Death can learn the pleasure of a shudder.
Trembling limbs threaded together; a blissful arrhythmia
Contorts the fibers of your heart.
Open your eyes. Behold your lover; tension.
Nearing the threshold of something unspeakable,
Skeletal hands clutch fat, round paps.
Under a sheen of silk and lily-dew,
Muscles crowd in to cover the bone. Naked
In the joyful agony of this moment, a revelation blooms.
Madness, perhaps, or possibly truth.
Under the mask there is something beautiful.
Reason dissolves like bone in acid, revealing something else.
In this tangle of sheets (scented with sex and rot)
Grasp him, hard. Push against those jutting hip bones;
Never mind the face he wears. Those bare sockets; that sharp grin.
In the house of Death pain and pleasure are one.IN GIRUM IMUS NOCTE ET CONSUMIMUR IGNI
In Mortis aede mel dolor, fel gaudium.
Ne terreant te rictus, orbes, os grave:
Grande prehendas, pelvis ossa comprimas.
Instat libido putris in linis odor.
Recincta mens ut ossa aceto: ostenditur,
Ut excidit persona, pulchritudinis
Merum, et furoris, veritatis omina.
In his doloris gaudiis mens certior:
Miscentur ossi muscula et nuda omnia:
Udis sub ortus palliis cum lilio
Surgunt papillae quas premunt durae manus.
Nefanda sunt propinqua: vade ad limina!
Orbes recludens ipsum amatorem vide!
Cordis toros contorquet incitatio.
Tremunt beati ardoris artus artubus.
Et Mors voluptatem tremoris excipit.
Et Mors voluptatem tremoris excipit.
Tremunt beati ardoris artus artubus.
Cordis toros contorquet incitatio.
Orbes recludens ipsum amatorem vide!
Nefanda sunt propinqua: vade ad limina!
Surgunt papillae quas premunt durae manus.
Udis sub ortus palliis cum lilio
Miscentur ossi muscula et nuda omnia:
In his doloris gaudiis mens certior:
Merum, et furoris, veritatis omina,
Ut excidit persona, pulchritudinis.
Recincta mens ut ossa aceto ostenditur.
Instat libido putris in linis odor.
Grande prehendas, pelvis ossa comprimas.
Ne terreant te rictus, orbes, os grave:
In Mortis aede mel dolor, fel gaudium.
Translation: Copyright © Timothy Adès