for His Winking Majesty, Brando 
Anna Maychuk & Kristin Hathaway 

1
1974 

"Tornado spawn," he says, 
gesturing to ourselves and 
laughing, 

"Chapter and verse - 
The storm darkens us around."

We take cover from God under a
broad-leaf low-lying rhododendron 
hunched over a hand-rolled cigarette 
thumbs can touch but not each other. 
Shivering every toke, all reaches 
curtail beneath chaste hail.

In mud gulch, percussive rain on
sheltering leaves, we sing Nyro
(the high notes were easier then)  
as frightened of each other as we 
are of the gale - the sermons
remain between us unspoken
but for thunder.

Stoned Soul Picnic, Timer,1 
calms or tires our terror 
now Lear-caged in storm sheer, 
odors of tobacco, sweat, of loam, 
and lust - hair-wet, heady.

Biblical fear - nostrils flare - 
smells pungent, sweet.  

Punished flesh leans into ground. 

Our roots
there ungrieved
are ungrieved still.


2  
2010

Laura-soulful trills, 

how the years have spilled 
since Tennessee mountain 
torments reigned where he 
was once and only a Monday 
King after all, a god of 
storms chased downhill to 
shaken limbs, prophetic stumps 
triumphantly singing to leaves.


Majestic, Where are you now? 
What of your harlequin shoes
and those suicidal crocuses? 


I remain stuck in King James, entangled 
in lyrical tongues, Revelation's old virgin. 

I stink still of old sweat having long forsaken 
those litigious congregations. By Him not

forsaken yet, I've sworn off cigarettes, 
a penance long overdue, rather old fears  
hand-rolled

in onion skins brittle. 

Remembering distant 
thumbs' refrains I 
am ill now, 

this Nyro song here to calm


praying for another storm...


3
2012

backyard empty clothesline

silk slip 
one pin down 
dips shyly in 
brick shadows'
pornographic breezes

I sing to knees now

when did I marry Lonely? 
can't recall but fell kid-hard


4  
2016

October

beyond Manhattan Bridge
sudden heat lightening
a good night with cool rain

old vinyl Nyro

needle scratches

done with song

>>><<<

Photo of Laura Nyro

1Titles of two songs by Laura Nyro

**Laura Nyro (October 18,1947 April 8,1997) is an American composer, lyricist, singer and pianist 

Try this album, one of her best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGU6iy0u7RQ&list=PLeYMPA41NfUvVY87M81Fb…