The Ekphrastic Review, June 5th, 2017
Farce begins at the base: broad shoulder
Mariner, sprung beard, soft braided cap
Over chin-length hair. He stares across
Bright Ribatejo meadows. Older
Than replanted pine forests, their sap
Dripping like tears, he’s an albatross
For what twists overhead: roots of cork
Oak gripped by rough hands. The architect
De Arruda carved the sea: coral
Wreath, kelp frill, half-heart shell. Mast rope’s torque
Strains as it ascends, buoyed to protect
The one-sided story, cool moral
Code tucked beyond the peephole lattice
And armored emblem. Artichoke crown
Tops open sail of trim caravels
In wild pursuit, an apparatus
Of heaven—armillary sphere—down
Wind from the Order’s stubborn Cross. Hell’s
Moss-wound breach: looking out or looking in?