Gaye Chapman

All this useless Beauty I

Synesthesia

All that useless beauty
painting and poetry, their seeds
like old gods uncovered
from the rocky earth
whispering forgotten words.
You taste them on the tongue
as abandonment splatters
a sudden smudge of red.
Hearing the words
that trigger other senses
in a hybrid version
of vision and hearing
prickly pear tinged purple
takes one small step for turquoise
one giant leap for grey.
You hold to alchemy
catalyst for colouring the words
and from realms of possibility
comes all the useless beauty you can bear.


© Paula McKay