Gray Eyes
Quiet over steel, gray eyes focus
from his soul out into a light
murky with the smoke that night
mists from the evenings hocus-pocus.
Useless to resist the power of his eyes
when they fix you with a stare
meant to kill, then eat, over glare
from iris glinting off the starry skies.
No message from the touch of quiet paws
as he firms, intent for a strike
lightning-swift, jagged, nothing like
the velvet rationale of laws.
Once youre meshed between his teeth,
accept new life his way through his flesh,
turgid, understood hes master, the guess
of no absorbed to yes above, beneath.
Circa l’autore
George Klawitter has edited the poetry of Richard Barnfield and published The Enigmatic Narrator, a study of same-sex love in John Donne’s poetry. His poems have been printed in various journals including The James White Review, Poetry Northwest, Poet Lore, Evergreen Chronicles, Milkweed, Assaracus, and Cumberland Poetry Review. His first book of poetry, Country Matters, appeared in 2001. His book Let Orpheus Take Your Hand won the Gival Press Poetry Award in 2002.