Karl Young

THE FLIES—THE GAME IS UP

now is the time     to whisper to circumstance   eyelash of heaven     scatter the absolute
now is the time     of kindly rocks   bigoted jewelry     take two steps
now is the time    to  burn fog   dawn grows tender     hold your ground
now is the time     to hide gifts   crate calculation     let him talk
now is the time     to caress slaughter   case disaster     look them in the face
now is the time    of famous ash   fields of remorse    call them to order
now is the time     of bloodshot fantasies   blinking vermin    scorn the moment
now is the time     of rotting bodies   buzzing rancor      fear the drumming
now is the time     of edified beetles   boundless infliction     congratulate iron
now is the time     of chattering brimstone   blasphemous kisses     clasp rage
now is the time     of pumping contrition   complaining ice cubes     flinch without noise
now is the time     of sociable carrion   congealed indignation     leave it behind
now is the time     of clammy ecstasy   secret raw meat     muffle confidence
now is the time     to ferment cynicism   crackling twilight     lean on your elbows
now is the time     of ten divine fingers   devour your duty     it doesn't matter
now is the time     of frightened raindrops   festering likenesses     shake the imaginary
now is the time     of splintering water   flash of lightning     stand up again
now is the time     to teach numbness   flares without incense     accept the inevitable
now is the time     of proud fever   chains of bragging     just endure it
now is the time     of faithful thread   withered flash     end in shelter
now is the time     to freeze geography   haunt gnawing grass     loosen destiny
now is the time     of yesterday's harp   harness collision     contemplate fear
now is the time     to inspire pollution   restless guilt     look just the same
now is the time     of the toy intestine   oath of day     advise the skull
now is the time     of majestical waste   rose-red murder     conceal distance
now is the time     to make fun of the dead   drop anchor in custom     gnaw on the stillness
now is the time     of lavish pus   precious rot     ignore radiance
now is the time     of ill-omened nerve   gold thunder storm     make the best of it
now is the time     of obedient night   stubborn bread     can do no more
now is the time     of the canopied fingernail   feed upon palaces     in spite of misfortune
now is the time     of prowling piety   rotten turnips bloom     start the engine
now is the time     of sanctified blood   regret waking up     furnish the silence
now is the time     to regulate cheerfulness   bleeding dreams     walk up and down
now is the time     of submissive threats   stinking penance     determine your fate
now is the time     of sighing certainty   sleep of thirst     pull yourself up
now is the time     to decorate birth   open the door     look at each other
now is the time     to wash lightheartedness   juice of accuracy   mimic nothingness
now is the time     of rumbling laughter   boiling road     miss your chance
now is the time     to rush to specification   well of promises     there's nothing to laugh at
now is the time     of throbbing solemnity   sour lips     there's nothing left
now is the time     of the solar dream    panting dirt     conceal distance

lashing detail     color flowing stream   guilty courtyard     cool it down
exhilarated scar     spit on chalk   complaining cushion     cool it down
vacant nausea     dare cloud   eye and nostril     cool it down
oblique opportunity     clear sunset   wax of anger     cool it down
horror in full swing     speaking usurper   chorus of oak trees     cool it down
chiseled city     scurrying to define   behind disillusionment     cool it down
stamping pinch     pours out crumbling   slip on brilliance     cool it down
radiant reaction     peeling the sun   proof of the fabric     cool it down
discrete envy     swooping torch   lightning ditch     cool it down
restrained crisis     to win to spoil   infected cake     cool it down
calm pebbles     scabrous glove   snarling hail     cool it down
oil and blind alley     slap gesture   hate breath     cool it down
fatalistic thread     scratch grievance   wavering shame     cool it down
sullenly fascinated     window scythe   hand over finish     cool it down
mirror foundry     wallowing flames   excrescences glide     cool it down
polite carnation     example of fire   tired of leaf     cool it down
key and bell     flash as goal   afternoon trees     cool it down
hesitant happiness     ship growing dark   eyes wide open     cool it down
horrified orchestra     nocturnal kennel   listen to irony     cool it down
wink and partition     oyster shells glow   rippling atonement     cool it down
measure with your eyes     petrified swagger   paved skin     cool it down
shrug and token     perfumed ceiling   sink straight down     cool it down
look at each other     crowded rain   power of dust     cool it down
entranced orange grove     release dragonfly   justice of dawn     cool it down
shivering festival     envy libation   joy of intruder     cool it down
constrained embarrassment     mercenary honey   coming of age     cool it down
irresponsive smoke     eyes in their mirrors   triumphant sadness     cool it down
motionless entreaty     hunted torpor   masked gratitude     cool it down
fall into step     butterflies grow pale   warn the betrayer      cool it down
clean nothingness     foresee stairway   prefer eyelid   cool it down
overloaded amazement      sacrifice wisdom   sacred guts     cool it down
streets every way     reverberate harbor   reward on tiptoe     cool it down
hope of error     sky's red gears   wheel in river bed     cool it down
painful half-light     especially syllable   bleeding wisdom     cool it down
dusty saliva     silent person   whistling sand     cool it down
remote jade      chilled breathing space   spring at evening     cool it down
weeping on the dance floor     fleece of thunder   in the twinkling of an eye   cool it down
sneering season     tolerant whirlwind   ray of union     cool it down
sting waves     boastful rapture   scorching vigil     cool it down
fate of the car     praise falling backward   public wind     cool it down
century's signature     last room   voracious dizziness     cool it down
our old refrain     empty veil   rushing sail     cool it down

The vocabulary for this poem was drawn from English equivalents of words in two works by Jean-Paul Sartre, Les mouches and Les jeux sont faits.

© by Karl Young

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