My lord’s beauty mark lies heavy
On my conscience
Stay, queen’s conscience
I made a poultice to allay
His pain, I think. Black and green
Each night the childless belly aching but
The mindful body wakeful
And he that would be the courtly knight
Is late to feast, so late already
I’ve given him up for
Haft and pommel, I’ll take plan B
To its resting place
Once you know it could be a body
Once it’s been a body once
Then it can only ever
Be a body, again
In this place liminal to
Night, where I long for gods and swords
And the wit to put down bearded boy
To crack love’s after open
Post-mortal, hearts and brains upended
His ears like roses
Sweet Gwen, he’ll say
Don’t bore me now
