feature poem of the week

somehow in my collating and editing, this poem got lost from the "Collected Sonnets" print edition —:

SALOME SALAD

those veils you shed

make any eye

weep their beauty

even kings have cried

striptease finished

these whorls can spice

like pearls of pubis

the headiest dish

every sainted john

would love to sate

his tongue in castrate

communion on

your bitter plate

sweet onion

/

Today I suddenly remembered this sonnet and when I couldn't find it in the current collected sonnets print edition, I used "finder" to look for it, and found it—and also came across this posting of drafts from an earlier blog:

September 29, 2008

today's drafts

*

SALOME

those veils you shed

make even me

the tyrant Herod

weep for beauty

striptease done     /  striptease finished

these pearls can garnish

their curls upon      / their curls along

the headiest dish

here every sainted John

envies my evil state

and converts his tongue / faith

to take communion

from your bitter plate  

sweet onion

/

striptease finished

these pearls can garnish

their curls along

the headiest dish

here every sainted John

converts his tongue

and joins my evil state   / to my evil state

to take communion on     /and takes/finds communion on

your bitter plate

sweet onion

/

here every sainted John

envies my evil reign

and finds communion

[                 /] salivate

*

salivate  /  fate  /  state / plate   / wait

/

here I salivate

over every sainted John

and convert his tongue   / and use his tongue

to take communion

from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/striptease done  / stripteased finished

these pearls can garnish   / can allocate

their curls upon   / their curls to garnish

the headiest dish     / the headiest plate

/here every sainted John

envies my evil fate          /envies my evil wish

and converts his tongue

to take communion

from your bitter plate    / bitter dish

sweet onion

\

/striptease finished

these pearls can [    -ate]

their curls to garnish

the headiest plate

/here every sainted John

envies my evil throne

and converts his palate

to take communion

from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/here every sainted John

envies my evil fate   / evil reign

and converts his tongue

to take communion

from your blessed plate   / from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/

here every sainted John

will join my evil state   /  will join my evil bond

and convert his palate   /convert his palate

to seek communion     / and seek communion

from your blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here every sainted John

will convert to evil   / will join my

and come to this table

to seek communion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

will join my salad palate   will join my evil state

and seek communion from

your blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

converts his palate  /will convert his palate

for tart communion    /to seek communion

/and seeks communion

from your blessed plate    /  on this blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

will join me/ my palate  /my palate salad

to seek communion

/

here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

transubstantiate

their tongues for communion

from your blessed plate

sweet onion

/

every heretic John

will convert his palate

every Judas Pilate

seek your communion  / seeks communion

on this blessed plate   /from this blessed plate

sweet onion

/

here heretic John

converts his palate

every Judas Pilate

seeks communion from

your blessed plate

sweet onion

/

here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

seeks communion from

and converts his tongue upon

your blessed plate

sweet onion

/striptease finished

your pearls can garnish

their curls

*

/for blessed communion

on your tart plate

*

/striptease done

these/those curls will garnish  / all garnish  / can garnish

[/your pearls can garnish

their curls upon]

/their pearls upon

the headiest dish

/striptease done

let your pearls garnish

their curls upon

the headiest dish

[/SALOME SALAD]

/every heretic John

shall transubstantiate

his palate

in/with this communion

sweet onion

/let/here heretic John

every Judas Pilate

convert his palate

for tart communion

every heretic John

will convert his palate  

/would convert / would judas his palate

(every Judas and Pilate)

to find communion

with this blessed plate

every heretic John

will convert his tongue  / convert his palate

and seek communion

on this blessed plate

each heretic John

converts his palate

to seek communion

on this blessed plate

sweet onion

shall steep his palate

transubstantiate

with your communion  /  union

in this blessed union

shall transubstantiate

his palate tongue

in this blessed union  / communion

will convert his con

/and on your plate   / and from each plate

my palate     /  my palate tongue

will join the heretic John

and lap you up   / tongue  / and lap you long

in this benediction /  communion

sweet onion

/transumption /   transubstantiation

shall transubstantiate

my palate

/every heretic John

shall profess your tang /

and simmer long

in this communion

/the heretic head will garnish

your plate sweet onion

striptease done

shall your pearls garnish

my heretic tongue

the headiest dish

your plate sweet onion

the vilest dish

the heretic John

shall decorate

your plate

until my palate

tastes your curls

sweet onion

*

*

September 30, 2008

today's drafts

*

*

SALOME

those veils you shed

have made every eye

weep for beauty

even Herod cried

/those veils you shed

make even me  / make even the eye

the tyrant Herod   /of tyrant Herod

weep for beauty

/those veils you shed

make every eye

even vile Herod  / every vile herod / like vile Herod

/see vile Herod  / of vile Herod  / a vile Herod

weep for beauty

/those veils you shed

make every eye

weep for beauty

even/like vile Herod

/striptease finished

these curls can spice

like pearls of pubis

the headiest dish

/striptease finished

these curls can ooze  / cooze  / can pubis

the headiest dish

this side of Jesus

/striptease done

these pearls can garnish

their curls upon     

the headiest dish

/every sainted john  / every sainted one

before he pass the gate  / passes on

would take/lap communion

and lick apostate   /shall lick apostate

your labial plate

sweet onion

/every lopped off john

/every sainted john

would apostate

his tongue castrate

to find communion on

/would love to sate

his tongue in castrate  prostrate  / his tongue in slit  / monstrate

communion on

/would apostate

his tongue to find

communion on

your castrate plate

sweet onion

/each apostate john

would love to sate

his tongue in castrate

communion on

your labial plate

sweet onion

/every castrate john

would apostate

his tongue to join   /to sate

communion on

your labial plate

sweet onion

/every sainted one

envies my evil crown/throne

and would apostate

his tongue to stait   / sate

the comunion

of your bitter plate

sweet onion

/every sainted john

would apostate

his tongue to sate   /  mate/prate/

communion at

your savory plate

sweet onion

/every sainted john

before he pass the gate

would heretic

his tongue to lick

your labial plate

sweet onion

/ hesitate  /  strait  

/every sainted john

longs to lick this strait  / longs to strait this gate

/longs to lap your strait

and take communion

at your

/longs to bear my crown  / reign / throne

and would apostate

his tongue to crown

/every sainted john

before his tongue is done

longs to taste apostate

and lick communion

from your labial plate

sweet onion

/every sainted John

shall apostate

his tongue palate

for communion  /to seek communion

at your bitter plate

sweet onion

*

here every sainted John

envies my evil state

and converts his tongue / faith

to take communion

from your bitter plate  

sweet onion

/

striptease finished

these pearls can garnish

their curls along

the headiest dish

here every sainted John

converts his tongue

and joins my evil state   / to my evil state

to take communion on     /and takes/finds communion on

your bitter plate

sweet onion

/

here every sainted John

envies my evil reign

and finds communion

[                 /] salivate

*

salivate  /  fate  /  state / plate   / wait

/

here I salivate

over every sainted John

and convert his tongue   / and use his tongue

to take communion

from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/striptease done  / stripteased finished

these pearls can garnish   / can allocate

their curls upon   / their curls to garnish

the headiest dish     / the headiest plate

/here every sainted John

envies my evil fate          /envies my evil wish

and converts his tongue

to take communion

from your bitter plate    / bitter dish

sweet onion

\

/striptease finished

these pearls can [    -ate]

their curls to garnish

the headiest plate

/here every sainted John

envies my evil throne

and converts his palate

to take communion

from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/here every sainted John

envies my evil fate   / evil reign

and converts his tongue

to take communion

from your blessed plate   / from your bitter plate

sweet onion

/

here every sainted John

will join my evil state   /  will join my evil bond

and convert his palate   /convert his palate

to seek communion     / and seek communion

from your blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here every sainted John

will convert to evil   / will join my

and come to this table

to seek communion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

will join my salad palate   will join my evil state

and seek communion from

your blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

converts his palate  /will convert his palate

for tart communion    /to seek communion

/and seeks communion

from your blessed plate    /  on this blessed plate

sweet onion

*

/here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

will join me/ my palate  /my palate salad

to seek communion

/

here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

transubstantiate

their tongues for communion

from your blessed plate

sweet onion

/

every heretic John

will convert his palate

every Judas Pilate

seek your communion  / seeks communion

on this blessed plate   /from this blessed plate

sweet onion

/

here heretic John

converts his palate

every Judas Pilate

seeks communion from

your blessed plate

sweet onion

/

here heretic John

and every Judas Pilate

seeks communion from

and converts his tongue upon

your blessed plate

sweet onion

/striptease finished

your pearls can garnish

their curls

*

/for blessed communion

on your tart plate

*

/striptease done

these/those curls will garnish  / all garnish  / can garnish

[/your pearls can garnish

their curls upon]

/their pearls upon

the headiest dish

/striptease done

let your pearls garnish

their curls upon

the headiest dish

[/SALOME SALAD]

/every heretic John

shall transubstantiate

his palate

in/with this communion

sweet onion

/let/here heretic John

every Judas Pilate

convert his palate

for tart communion

every heretic John

will convert his palate  

/would convert / would judas his palate

(every Judas and Pilate)

to find communion

with this blessed plate

every heretic John

will convert his tongue  / convert his palate

and seek communion

on this blessed plate

each heretic John

converts his palate

to seek communion

on this blessed plate

sweet onion

shall steep his palate

transubstantiate

with your communion  /  union

in this blessed union

shall transubstantiate

his palate tongue

in this blessed union  / communion

will convert his con

/and on your plate   / and from each plate

my palate     /  my palate tongue

will join the heretic John

and lap you up   / tongue  / and lap you long

in this benediction /  communion

sweet onion

/transumption /   transubstantiation

shall transubstantiate

my palate

/every heretic John

shall profess your tang /

and simmer long

in this communion

/the heretic head will garnish

your plate sweet onion

striptease done

shall your pearls garnish

my heretic tongue

the headiest dish

your plate sweet onion

the vilest dish

the heretic John

shall decorate

your plate

until my palate

tastes your curls

sweet onion

*

*

///