Charles Frederickson

Past Present

1
Scurrying crabs reclaim shell-shocked sandscape
Before faltering light burns out
Heritage shucked lustrous pearls looted
Snapping turtle eggs burial crypts

Unhealed scars heroic pulsating veins
Sliding down ribcage bunker cave-ins
Combat fatigue mindful of revenge
Sweaty sniper bullet casing souvenirs

Claptrap pincers fill check-out vacancies
Empty conches staring hunger down
Tubular organs grinding to halt
Siphoned off lifeblood drained dry

2
Ziggurat temple honored god Marduk
Beyond reach towers spiraling heavenward
Straw-mud bricks slimy bitumen mortar
Gates to afterlife garland festooned

Once fertile Mesopotamian Shinar plain
Etemennanki furlong square Hanging Gardens
Ancient world’s wondrous terraced flora
Babylonia yearning to breathe free

Eons of devastating warfare later
Foundation rubblework bed left unmade
Idle chatter gobbledygook wise cracks
Slow fixes doomed to anarchy

3
Fabulous Assyrian lapis lazuli inlay
Nine heads eleven horns scarlet
Scaly wings swishy serpentine tail
Beast ascended from bottomless pit

Glorified visions faded revelations blindsided
Monster slain by double-edged sword
Decadent hedonistic orgies lustful revelry
Parched lips kismet fatal kiss-offs

Final conflict lamb ultimately victorious
Universal God’s prophetic covenant restored
Hell-bent on winning lost cause
Retributive martyrdom lying in wait