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a gnostic poem
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the
puppetmaster’s
palace
by francis
booth
1. the anteroom
in the beginning
was the word
and the words
formed
a life sentence
a palindromic life
a reversible
sentence
the end
in the beginning
the end
is the beginning
only those with no
beginning
will have no end
an antiphon
in the anteroom
hallway
to a hidden hell
pathway
to a perpetual
purgatory
2. the master
bedroom
on a silken
coverlet
under
a sumptuous
canopy
panoply
of power
the puppeteer
preens
and prances
directs
the dances
lord and master
droit de seigneur
of all he surveys
pacing
and planning
designing
destinies
foreshadowing
fates
from
the balustraded
balcony
the puppeteer’s
principality
stretches
to the hazy
horizon
the unkind
mastermind
weds beds shreds
bids and forbids
his shamefaced
slaves
treads
on the threads
of his jacks
and knaves
supplicants
in submission
applicants
for permission
replicants without
remission
always denied
set on one side
impregnating
dominating
subjugating
duplicating
and replicating
a subdued race
compliant
and complacent
reliant
on debasement
subjects
subjected
to the master’s
magisterial
manipulation
3. the empty
ballroom
the unseen
orchestra
silently bows and
scrapes
to the tune
of time
on a forgotten
phonograph
a wistful waltz
wafts
like
an abandoned
dream
blown
on the breeze
drifting dreamily
through drowsy
drapes
a music box
ballerina
pirouettes
en pointe
twirling
swirling
spinning
in spirals
dust motes
describing
arabesques
in the empty
air
chandeliers shine
softly
faint and faded
into cobwebbed
corners
of coves
and cornices
ghostly beauties
the spirits
of the space
gloved
and gowned
gallop
to a gaunt
gavotte
grinning
and spinning
a midnight minuet
a courtly
courante
carefully
choreographed
by black-gloved
hands
waiting
in the wings
with fraying strings
4. the puppet
theatre
the puppeteer
grins and sneers
disappears
centre stage
a golden cage
terrors rage
a music box
carriage clocks
ticks and tocks
marionettes
pirouette
in silhouette
pulled by strings
from the wings
run in rings
willows weep
wounds
go deep
memories keep
morning dew
mourning new
dawning true
shadows cast
through
the past
never last
fate unkind
fear entwined
hope unwinds
shadows fall
dreams recall
the final ball
5. the chapel
the spire inspires
as the choir retires
golden gleams
of olden dreams
a font of fools
the cross of the
cursed
a nave of knaves
an asses’ apse
built
brick by brick
on the alms
of the sick
from widows’
mites
to vaulting heights
the edifice
endures
on the pennies of
the poor
pontificating
prelates
prate
and prattle
like empty rattles
vicious vicars
vicarious
precarious
pretending
condescending
defending
the faith
of the fathers
feasting in the
vestry
like beasts
in the bestiary
choirboys
like shiny toys
to be
played with
and broken
the evil unspoken
peddling pardons
and permissions
granting
remissions
from sins
of commission
disobedient
omission
selling admission
to a paradise
perpetually
postponed
shepherding
flocks
hemmed in
by the rocks
of guilt
and suspicion
of old superstitions
and gold
apparitions
mumbling masses
for the huddled
masses
in an opium haze
in a dreamlike
daze
of golden days
and olden ways
miming hymns for
the last
of the lost
the golden goblet
a chalice
of malice
the wine watered
down
by the rivers
of hate
the communion
wafer-thin
slivers of hate
false hope
for the hopeless
vain vacant
visions
in a vast vacuum-
filled void
empty blessings
false confessing
intercessing
under painted
saints
with vermilion
smiles
and marble eyes
offering prayers
with unreturned
stares
into unrequited air
6. the sick room
banks of bodies
unburied
on ranks
of bunks
lying dying
moaning sighing
screaming crying
on bloodveined
marble slabs
nurses curse
in chaotic
corridors
spitting out spells
to ward off
sickness
spiteful words
on frightfilled
wards
bloodletting
bedwetting
bonesetting
bodies shattered
blood spattered
hair matted
entrails scattered
the rising heat
of mouldering
meat
from sweatsoaked
sheets
typhoid screams
of fevered dreams
the surgeon’s
scalpel
severs scalps
slickly slicing
sickly dicing
through
the willing flesh
of the young and
fresh
deflowering
showering
with blood
flowing
in flood
doctor death’s
fickle sickle
tricks the sick
the dead
and the quick
7. the lost library
palimpsensed
parchments
papyrus burning
with the virus
of learning
the forbidden
collection
spreading
infection
heretics
of hermeneutics
hermetically steal
the secrets
left concealed
too dark
to be revealed
the wisdom
of sages
the knowledge
of the ages
on drycrumbled
pages
in metalbarred
cages
vast vellum
volumes
of tomblike tomes
hide bound
covered in dust
eaten by rust
false hope found
like prometheus
unbound
the cabal
conspires
inside dreaming
spires
the writers
all liars
the books
are all lies
but the people
are wise
the wisdom
of crowds
like the freedom
of clouds
the words
on the page
are echoed
on stage
concealing
the rage
the weight
of the hate
and the fate
of the state
with barbarians
at the gate
as all learning is
spurned
and the books are
all burned
in a bonfire
of all vanities
of slickest inanities
and sickest
insanities
the fire consumes
what the future
exhumes
received
as true treasure
believed
with
true pleasure
8. the moat
the moat
encircles
the palace
like a snake
spiralled
around
a sleeping baby
foetally
centripetally
the tide
allows entry
but no escape
the drawbridge
drops
only at death
the crossing lost
the ferryman’s
cost
creatures
of the deep
sleep fitfully
subsurface
serpents
flesheating fishes
inhabit the
darkdeep
sightless schools
in the fathomless
pool
circling round
the bones of the
drowned
creeping vines
encircle
sleeping minds
cuckolding
holding
in a parasitic
paralytic
grip
brackish
blackish waters
the scenes
of slaughter
putrescent
fluorescent
excrescent
with the slime
of time
of ancient crimes
fevered screams
forgotten dreams
of release
of surcease
of final
peace
9. the catacombs
the river sticks
to its usual course
swollen by rain
sluicing down
drains
washing remains
to the subterrain
passing under the
walls
and the
brightpainted
halls
the ferryman’s
fee
collected
with glee
in recompense
for a life’s expense
of blood
and toil
regret
and fears
the summer’s last
shadows
overcast
in cavernous
canyons
lightshafted
in cadaverous
chasms
speared
by fearsharpened
stones
sheared
by serrated
stalagmites
pierced
in passingby
the gloom
illumined
by the doom
the dark lit
by a dying spark
grievestones
gravely engraved
with epitaphs
of epigraphs
shadows written
on stone
pierce through to
the bone
of the finally alone
10. the walled
garden
the smallest seed
of greed
in the soft soil
of the soul
will produce
the tallest tree
blocking
the light
barring
the way
flourishing
with fruit
and flowers
sheltering
with shade
darkening
with doubt
the sap
of wisdom
rises
through
the tree
of foreknowledge
the bounty
of a butterfly
landing
on the lush leaves
of love
and longing
but the fruit
is fatal
the petals
are poisoned
the roots
are sour
lethal leaves
bitter branches
blossoms
blooming
with blood
sharpened blades
of gleaming grass
nettles
and thorns
glittering
at dawn
in the eyes
of the unborn
the leaves
all wither
as the snakes
all slither
seeds of doubt
spore weeds
of despair
11. the forbidden
forest
outside the walls
beyond the halls
the forest
of freewill
flourishes
the distant sea
roars through the
trees
daylight
never reaches the
ground
silence
never breaches
the sound
jackdaws
crowcaw
tearclawed
vultures soar
moss covered
loss smothered
overgrown
undergrowth
cloaked
by reeds
choked
by weeds
branches wither
serpents slither
spiders sidle
and slide
scorpions hurry
and scurry
in a flurry
of worry
wild beasts roam
with nowhere
home
wolffree
jackalproud
hyena hearted
untameable
unnameable
unshameable
an unreflective life
unselective
unelective
unbounded and
unfounded
ungrounded
by hate
unhounded
by fate
in nature’s state
outside
the estate
beyond
the debate
despatches
detached
with no strings
attached
unrestrained
by the
puppetmaster’s
hands
unconstrained
by chest-
tightening bands
ex-
communicants
exiled
reviled
unreconciled
outside
the tale
beyond
the pale
12. the treasury
coins
are placed
on the eyes
of the dead
riches block
the light
and lock
the sight
the gold disc
of the sun
hides
the true light
it blocks the exit
from the world of
attachment
and greed
the glittering
necklaces
sparkling
with splendours
pregnant
with pomp
choke
like chains
a chain
of purest gold
is still a chain
the bejewelled
bangles
of dazzling
diamonds
resplendent with
rubies
emblazoned with
emeralds
studded
with sapphires
shining
and shimmering
grip like shackles
shackles
of precious stones
are still
a slave’s shackles
the softest shawl
of silken
shahtoosh
delicate
and downy
fine as
a fairy’s wing
of featherlight
filigree
strangles
like a noose
a noose
of the finest fabric
is still a noose
the vintage wine
in the
cobwebbed
cellar
rich and rare
fragrant and
fruitful
is a slow poison
poison drunk
from a
jewelled cup
is still poison
the bars of gold
you hold
grasping greedily
holding needily
imprisons you
without escape
prison bars
of precious metal
are still
prison bars
freedom
is not worth
its weight
in gold
bars
the price
of freedom
can not
be weighed
it is not
for the love
of wealth
that wealth
is dear
it is for the love of
self that greed is
near
that feeds
the fears
and milks
the tears
13. the lake of
sorrow
frozen tears
form a flood of
fears
dropping like
pearls
in the perfumed
pool
the rain of regret
too much pain to
forget
from centuries of
weeping
of wetpillowed
sleeping
languishing
lamenting
lachrymose
from saltweeping
eyes
with sadworn sighs
coracles capsized
on dejected
jetties
boats overturned
bridges burned
a dam
built of bodies
of the damned
holds back
torrents
of torment
rivers
of remorse
trickling streams
of undreamt
dreams
the tortured rise
of ancient cries
forgotten sighs
and untold lies
14. the chamber
of justice
in the
chancery
chamber
the jealous
judges’ justice
solemnly
bears down
in the name
of the crown
with the face
of a clown
the spirit
of greed
the soul
of need
sent down in
chains
into what
still remains
of the jail
of the failed
still unrisen
from the body’s
prison
a shackled hole
in a deepdark
soul
the bondage
of ignorance
and forgetfulness
the burden
of fate
the jury of peers
peering purblind
into a pit
of pitch black
vicarious verdicts
vicious edicts
a savage
sentence
harshly hissed
the
uncondemned
man
determined to
hang
unable to cope
with the freedom
of hope
can not be
let out
in a world
full of doubt
unpardoned
unparoled
unprepared
15. the dungeon
in the cave
of shadows
the light echoes
endlessly
through
the darkness
the light
is trapped
in the depths
of darkness
and despair
fortress formed of
fear
of failing
of falling
subterranean
sunless
sunken
submerged
stygian stone
stairways
vertiginous visions
of a vast
vacant
void
echoing emptily
with morphine-
mad moans
murmurs
of rumours
legends of lost
lives
choking sighs
haunted cries
hidden eyes
unbidden lies
in the beginning
was the end
in the end
is a new
beginning
only those with
no beginning
will have
no end