economies of pale

there exist such riches
as cheapen the Earth her spin;
not held or won, but discovered
explicit to the world within.

a color
to make all other vision
fading pale-grain film;

a melody
to make all other songs
a whistling echo din.

--the shutter clicks
before our brains receive
the signal; this treasure
only unknown perceived.

a thought
to make all other ideas
mocking juvenile patter;

a taste
to make all other wine
stale, tepid water.

splendid things, or poison?
though great beauty blinds,
so do cancers and toxins;
how are we poor judges kind?










may 2019