E r i n   B u r l e y 

---

Aerial Exodus

I have known great secret crystallic pilots expounding
in glitz grandeur ecstasy silver-stranded oracles that
skim whole horrific holy revolving gemmed jungles
of cosmos caught cold in shimmer swelter form,
lurid kindled exuberant exquisite jade quantities
of air slivered beneath the massive
smog shatter shuffles, dusty delirium, Reality
with rough mystics in Nissans, demigods lamenting spirals
in the clinical circular cliffs, the nuclear nuerotic symmetric
office limbos where such tidings of tranquil and trinities
pass in bliss and oblivion through worldly computer-smashed eyes.

And I have conversed in the molecular psyche of skies
about the zephyrs and moors and nexus and neurosis
of never and the fine fleeting seaface shape of divine
schizophrenia stroking atoms into astound into asteroids.

I have vanquished Elysian fields, Valhalla Asgard City Celestial
transatlantic stratrospheric blessed brimstone thorazine
amphetamine blue Heavens bordering Sheol Golgothic,
aerial exodus airmen streaking kerosene trekks
and flinging the Mercurian solar smoldered match
bringing dazzled Luciferan descents, the foundations of opal isles.

I have, through nether Gehenna methandrine halls sighted
chasm's children reincarnated on mythic milk cartons
ceasing the Seattle silence negating, joining birdmen
island-hopping Heavens hand-in-hand disappear diamond exalting,
the Lilting Lost being brazenly led through cauldron cosmology
sickle sociology chemical crystal shooting galleries.

I have stolen Gypsy Halifax chants capsizing pouring pirate clouds
eclipsing Styx, African Equatorian ethereal walkers of the sun
of the flat-clap rubble-rumble rice-scavenge astral army
invading iced mechanical scalpel scythe-lands, marauding
mystery mystical mirrors metal-night playground slaughterscapes,
the Arctic mercenary technoscream American dream
of fantastic roving Hades Hoboken, photo-warps, crucified eyes
lynch through illusions of glitter and fast and intricate electronic abyss.

I have known parades of angels trapezing across the razor ripple
temple top of the Deleware bridge dancing on sunshrieks
and the exempt guides in floating Babylon displaying
mist-sail bold stripes the sleep stagger suffocations, melds
from heathen color to Catholic shatterproof foundings
of glint gather soaring Toltecs traipsing on naked air.

I have conquered jagged Indian image engines of death ascension
walking weightless across orbit altars lightfoot in subterranean passes,
dimension descension barriers of exalted stainless whitehot
incisions into The Real:
canonized escapes escalating Shiaskotan saviors I have
created sequin-cleaves in aeronaut sanctuaries trespassed
transcend and part the fliniging world into dreams desperate
and derrange-distance I have coolly conquered and I have
indulged in aerial exodus into the psyche of skies.