by Gerard Varni

It rises to cleanse creatures unwashed
Between moon and wind and wide pastures,
The shining undying swift-horsed sun.

Sacrifice, then, the shadows unseen
Which steal like vultures to chestnut flesh,
The shining undying swift-horsed sun.

Pure as amber, feverish as prayer
Ascended from raw and wretched souls,
The shining undying swift-horsed sun.

Rejoice and forfeit all resistance,
Kneel upon redemptive shards; and sing,
The shining undying swift-horsed sun.

Gerard Varni writes: "My work has appeared in printed journals, including pleiades and the baltimore review, as well as online at blue moon, crossconnect, web del sol, etc." His short story The Hole Between Them appeared in The Danforth Review in Sept. 2000.