Orgy, Sacrament Poem by gershon hepner

Orgy, sacrament,
not contradictory,
unvirtuous victory,
descent before ascent;
sometimes vice versa,
ascent before descent,
depending on intent,
pure or perverser.

Inspired by a poem by Geoffrey Hill, from “The Songbook of Sebastian Arrurruz”:

What other men do with women
Is for me neithr orgy nor sacrament
Nor a language of foreign candor

But is occasion or chance distance
Out of which you might move and speak my name
As I speak yours.


1/27/08