CHARLES FREDERICKSON

UNQUENCHABLE THIRST


FOLLOWING BEHINDHAND FABLED LAWRENCE AFTERGLOW
FOREIGN LEGIONNAIRES FEZ TASSEL WINDSOCKS
SUFFOCATING BURIAL VAULTS INTIMIDATING DUNES
ZIGGURAT TERRACED PYRAMIDS GRAINS RECOUNTED

IMITATIVE CORNERS CASTING SHADOWY ASPERSIONS
SMALL TRIANGULAR PILLOWS REFLECTIVE THOUGHTS
RISING LIKE VETERAN FOLDED TRICOLOR
NAPKIN PLEATS ABSORBING SMEARY STAINS

FOSSILIZED FOOTSTEP TRACES GRITTY IMPRESSIONS
CLINGSTONE POCKMARKS PITTING TAWNY SOLES
CAMEL LEATHER THONGS WHIPLASHING TOES
SANDAL AMBER INCENSE AROMATIC OILS

FERTILE GARDEN DESERTING BRITTLE STEMS
HOLLOW LONGING WEEDS GROWING WILD
SAFFRON STAMINA POLLINATE ANTHER POWDER
PISTILLATE SEEDS TREMBLING PELVIC THRUST

WILTING AKIN TO DROOPY JASMINE
LOSING ITS POWERFUL HEADY ESSENCE
INTAGLIO PRINTING GRAVURE SEPIA PLATES
BURNT ACID SEEPING AFTERIMAGE GHOSTS

PERIPHERAL VISION borderS FLICKED ASHES
SETTLING BEHIND STEEP OCCIPITAL RIDGE
TRANSLUCENT VEIN MAZES UNBLINKING EYELIDS
ETCHED WINDOW IMPRESSIONS ERASED BACKWARDS