19 December 2008

the color of the sac and stinger of the scorpion
was red, and got its beauty from their poison. bare
feet ache with the threat, the eyes with praise,
the serum for revulsion. praise be, then, that
the armored teardrop searching on the tail
could miss feet, sting sight, and reconcile
death's stamping panic with a vision of form,
red at the point where chance and law join.

'barefoot for a scorpion' by alan dugan