Dionysus

Cruel, all-magical,
take the berries in and the grapes
of good black wine
suck the head spin
skin on skin
divine Hell of bliss
and excess 
soaking-in.

You left behind
the empty bottles
tops screwed on, all neat,
blood being screwed, all dirt,
it felt like Heaven didn't it
until the cold clear dawn:
new day make you spew
not see.

Life indigestion you take in
pain by all means
human and non.
O ivy man
strangled 
by your own Divinity.

Heredity of gain
means you stuff and gorge
on insane pleasure - a palace Bacchanal
with all those willing
who have severed
all connection to the real
stretching green
of quiet day.

Gulp it down
suck it in
slash the vein
use by all and any 
means
to feel the speed, to feel
the flash, your tearing head 
off to race the stars
to wake the dead.

You do all this to feel ...
but numb 
and reeling far away
your dazed black eyes
are fading
Dionysus -

All the prostitutes gone home.
All the good black wine is done.
All your men lie limp and lame
on the game and game too long -
and you too needled-in to care
too gone to skin another one -

Dionysus, God of Loss
your grin and your intoxicating mask
are wearing thin.

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