pageantry.
The pastel children pass through the hall, 

desert sonnet
broken cups about me, not a drop to drink
the melody tripped about a searching tongue,
eyes dried tight inside me, silent lips lie parched
mind tied in night within me, not a thought to think
desert spinning out before me, on wooden legs i marched
so spent i trudged and sang a song
of his image bleeding through my ears
it made the day less weary long
words of fire to warm my fears
wove wildly through meridians of meat.
i forgot his face, or i would have sung
rapturous refrains of lips too sweet.
blue mountains loom at the desert's end.
if i got lost somewhere else, would he still be my friend?