Thing of Beauty

“The most beautiful things are those that madness prompts and reason writes.”    
—Andre Gide
   
(a sonnet)  
   
How sweet the iron taste like legion’s nail,  
That hammer swing that drives it fully in,  
How bitter follows, all that I assail,  
As wine and milk combine, remove my sin!  
   
Communion stains on tongues of opened night,  
Where heads are bowed in supplication’s feast.  
And risen folk, in offered prayers delight,  
Seek freely taste of nocturne’s sanguine priest.  
   
As curtains, purple, red, would seek divide,  
And keep my worship far from inner room,  
My sought forgiveness will not be denied,  
And soon the priestess’ sacraments consume.  
   
From taint of human lust, I am made clean,  
With blood of human life’s absolving wean.  
   
(period sex)