[100 Challenge] Ocean_16

Den of Snakes

Salammbô

Boil in the vats of stone the gold 

Pour it over them pour 

Over their gazes of avarice

Melt the eyes

Melt them through 

Slosh the skulls

And when they cool crack open the bowls of ore

To make the snakes cackle

Make them lean back 

Jaws hinged on the sky

Maiden in the snake-pile make them laugh

Clothed in smoke-coils

And sumptuous jealousies of velvet

Drop it away

Without shield of silk or leather

Without a king 

Without even a skeleton—

All softness of the world holds you up

Naked in the halls of Dis

Drinking the fumes 

Which smolder in the cobra’s jaws

The men ride in 

Waving their weapons of sharpened bronze

Echoes clattering the halls

Feeding time

Come in close 

Close in on her eyes

White as bone so white there is nothing anymore

Only white forever

The spears go soft in their grips 

The tremors rise up

Turn on them turn 

Sprout fangs and coiling 

Spring back hissing open on the jugulars 

And gouged through make them fall

Clasping to their necks their hands 

This one’s throat spurts its final laugh of blood

Stand over it listen 

Listen to the body sputtering its laughter

Around her collapsed soldiers gurgle and die

Her palace is gold shimmering in puddles of crimson

No king

Not a king never a crown never

A shame garment

No curtain of velvet to hide the command

That forth from her pours its vicious rivulets of gold 

Into the night of men’s wars and men’s desire

Carving for itself

A den of snakes