Rainbow Signs

Pale horse songs of a slow decline Sideshow words if the songs don't mind G-d gave Noah the rainbow sign No more water, is the H-Bomb next time? Pale horse vows in a grave (I-do-yes-definitely) reply Smile for the camera at a 'church' nearby Threw a mute curse at the Boise sky For my fucked up Napoleon-of-St.-Helena-hairline Black horse leaping when the frogs withdrew The parable of the plums where the olives grew Clouded rearrangement of sounds we knew: An Idaho sunset for my own private Waterloo Pale horse songs of a slow decline Side show words if our moms don't mind: Cloud gave no one a rainbow sign-- Six-point starred ink flag next time? שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד قل هو الله احد الله الصمد With imperial crowns we were 'sent,' Riding out conquest-bent Daylight is breaking Wielding the sanctified sword For the army of the Scarecrow Lord Daylight is breaking Balancing scales at our feet Measuring out two pounds of barley, six pounds of buckwheat Beasts of the Battersea Shield At the opening of the fourth seal The sky, I'd been told Would roll up like a scroll As the mountains and islands moved from their place And the sun would turn black As a dead raven's back But there'd be nowhere hide From the Judge's face After which message-less birds take flight without cause To the silence they've heard in the absence of laws Or imperial crowns: Unsent, unsigned-- The other night I dreamt I was finally out of college In my own pair of sandals, I had turned into my father Whistling our tune about the Rio Grande Like an anchorite in June I took hold of my own hand And started on the Abrahamic joke we knew About apostrophes and pronouns and you-remember-who "But let's keep that silly punchline between me and you Little Haroon And the man in the moon."