“Merít Upon the Riverbank,” by Dennis Saleh

i .
Comely Merít sits
upon the first question
The great mystery

lies between her legs
hidden so unknown
The purr of moon

The bells of the pylon
of the temple of Merít
intone unheard

But may be felt
lifting fronds faintly
not to disturb the air

Ask the friends
of Merít
to describe wonder

Luxury unto
noon fragrances
at the temenos

Scent of electrum
Of coral dust
Of swallowed wind

Skin perfected red
of the fine granites
at Elephantine

Merít glows
like ivory
singed orange

Her shadow
casts upon
the sun

ii .
Walking
in palms on
the soft riverbank

Merít in sheer linen
like moons
rolling side by side

Fuller than
sails of the
feluccas

The musk
of Merít a
temple resin

Parfum sigh
Whispered air
Black sieving blue

The evening
has gone
to sleep

The Nile mulls
homage to Merít
and darkens

Amused
a pact of gods
offers Merít the night

She stretches
on the sky’s
billowy shoulder

considering
Tallying darkness
Weighing stars

From Little Star #2

Also in our Warm Your February series:
“La Chatte,” by C. K. Williams

Warm your February special offer

Dennis Saleh has published several books of poetry and edited an anthology of contemporary American poetry. He has also published books on science fiction film and record album design. In 2011, he will be Featured Poet in Psychological Perspectives (published by the C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles).