Alchemisland

History circuitous, repetitious

For the Irish, rarely surreptitious

As rights rise like tides of changing ages

Venice’s cancer’s final stage

From sacred hollows mystical weapons are pried

Durandal pulled from stone and stolen, like Scone’s stone

How long until Thule and Horbiger’s icebox are taught in schools?

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Of the lance of Longinus, spearing Eden’s seed

Which flame-immured Charlemagne wielded

Asbestos-robed Vikingbane, at favoured Aachen bathing

When dropped from unshaking hand, he died instantaneously

How long until plunderers come wearing thunder runes

Steel horses sallying under blood moons, Wotan’s goons.

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From tombs stipend of demised emperors taking

Off-snaking Richard’s third, curved spider iteration

Sacks bulging treasures priceless to given nation

Ancient curios, reputedly divine

Swords banded with puzzling languages

Vorpal spirals as drink phials of sunwine at Dowth on Solstice

Phallic staves, Gaelic grails with ogham traintracks along beaten bands

Urns depicting in delicate gold sylvan scenes of Pan-ic urge

Bracers, greaves and a cuirass depicting lion-visaged Demiurge

Stirring birds to dragons.

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Stealing anything of mystical relevance

Even pocketing coins aported by Madame Blavatsky

Whose doctrines resume importance as in days Victorian

In his grave, rufous-bearded George Russell AE treated friendlily in Ulysses

Relatively, rotates delightedly at his creed’s resupporting

According to his own beliefs, which he in prose and poem recorded

He would be able betwixt worlds to talk

He would visit like fates to Thane’s Cawdor

The lodge halls he ne’er in life foreswore

He would drift down from heavenly climes and at Mount Abora’s foot epsy

Some argented, film’d divide through which, he surmised

He might converse with guys down the Theosophical Society Offices

He talks to the orifice, brightful as it was like an oriflamme

Of ensorcelment, as if portal circumference to vast ear

Whose lobe he teased knowledge only deceased men know

Perhaps one heard groaning, if so twas ne’er noted

Though through that rift russet, rusty Russell ranted fullthroated.

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Children appointed lore seekers implore grandparents for more

Stories of old time, of supposed glory

Of brigandine wizards in hoary chasubles, star-flecked

Elected king of all forests, of men leant god-sent

Power, strength above, who do the world rent;

Evil returns, a third term of culling war assured.

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