The Smile

The Smile was sinister,
Landed on a mountain and

Spread

(Like all sinister smiles do)

Across the fertile plains –

Corroded and corrupted the crops,
Poisoned the wells,
Ate the clouds,
Disappeared into the skirts of women
And the brains of men,

Etched ‘Fire’
On the walls of the houses,

‘Fear’
On the foreheads of the children,

‘Death’
On the flanks of the cattle,

– withered the flowers,
The bird-song,
Stank
The smell of the new mown hay,

The Smile
Dropped with the rain,
Blew down
Into the cracks between stones
Grew up with the roots of trees and into their sap,

Chlorophyll,
Branches,
Leaves,

Swept through the orchards and into the fruit,

Curdled the love between man and woman,

Deformed their children,

Cursed the sun and took its light,

Mirrored itself on

Despair,
Destruction,
Wrong-doing ,

Shut off God,

Instituted Babel:

The Smile was happy with its’ success,
Grinned sinisterly, like all good smiles do

And watched the world burn.

5/5/00