the fifth power of the sphinx

click to enlarge, and as always, as right-aligned text, is selectable below (albeit rather hard to read).

Reposted (orig. post 2/25/13, poem c. 1996) to honor a beautiful Soul now, perhaps, more alone than before, but a Star nonetheless, possessed of a færy light strong enough to pierce the looming thick & growing Darkness, a light strong enough to reach me & in an instant move me, however unimaginably distant. 

Thank you for being alive, for reminding me that I yet live.

May I live long, & learn to find words fit to return such a favor.

THE FIFTH POWER 

OF THE SPHINX

 or, 

With Feathers, Yet Loyal

by a female Faust, written c. 1996 

.'. JOY .'.

...see your Life left a chance yet a Present perfect as surrender to new

.’. LOVE .’.

always already the only Foundation upon which will the Great

.'. WORK .'.

be as good & as easy as is Energy Infinite & as Beauty is True

.'. WILL .'.

Birthright Divine of Innocence Human: even in sorrow, to know you can See...

Catching A Glimpse Of Evil, Revised For The Plague Times

From But Glimpse Learn To Recognize Evil, A Warning 

by a female Faust

i could be you just as easily — you 

could be me just as well —

we could be through with this misery

we could have done with this Hell

each one of us already knows how

& even though some of us don’t understand

the pretended ignorance shows

now — we can see all such traitors are damned

if ever you get like me beat down & frightened

overwhelmed, overcome by the fear

that maybe the world can’t be made right

in enough time — to avert what is near — 

& then — as if on cue — to save you from despondence

at long last — no, not even a bell

do remember please our correspondence

so this won’t be a 'so' i’d have been able to tell you

springing eternal, confused you confide

in sight seen as if near, more likely than far

in hearing but talk,  you — still —  take a side

you still don’t know how to tell  “ser” from “estar”

because those who refuse to be saved

have been Evil — well — all along — 

take a proud satisfaction depraved

in choosing senselessly yet — to do — wrong….

revised again for the plague times 3/2020

Poem For A New American Century: Go Fourth

Also this, originally for Independence Day: I call it a 

"Poem for a New American Century"

GO FOURTH

Land isn't free, but it sure is divisible

But the hand of the Market is visible

O say can you say if you see something you ought

Not so brave when it comes to the rent

Who can save up what's already spent

O say can you see why this was all you were taught

Truth is spoken to Power that fears it

It gets louder when nobody hears it

Over not being heard soon enough Power gets fought

No one knows it but everyone hides it

No one can tell you why nobody tries it

(But everyone wonders why no one gets caught)

Since you can bet that they'll never be telling

Never mind finding out just what they're selling

Better ask what it was that you bought

-by a female Faust, an American citizen

The Eternal Feminine, or, A Feast Of Fire | by a female Faust, IAO Core, A.T.O.I.

Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains.  ---Liber Al vel Legis

...this is (in part) a presentation of my translation of the last verse of Goethe's Faust,  the centerpiece of a solstice ritual whose text I had written circa 1992. It was performed live at the Cow Palace for New Year's Eve 1995, as a chill-room collaboration between IAO Core and the Ambient Temple of Imagination,  with this female Faust, in tails, century old undertaker's top hat,  and half white face, as vocalist and Enochian ritual unit.  The soundtrack found its way onto an A.T.O.I. release; it is available through them for download, below.

click to play audio or right-click to download

click to play video or right-click to download