CHRISTIAN ORTEGA
This site is about the books, art, photos and videos of the poet and artist Christian Ortega.
“POSTSCRIPT” closing poem
from "RED POEMS".
Video dir. by ORTEGA
Copyright © 2023 C. Ortega
All Rights Reserved
***
"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw you into prison..." -Revelation 2:10
RED ROSES ROMANS
WHAT MORE FOR THE SPQR
WARM FIRES BURN WHEN METAL
FINDS MATE IN OLD BURGUNDY
BRIGHT WINE ROSES BRASS AND CUPS
DOES YOUR NEED FILL THIS BLOOD
LEADING ONTO VOICES BUT
NEVER WHISPERS OF THE DIVINE
SO WHEN WILL THE FALL BE A SKY
CANCELLED RUMORS SPEAK OF SILENCE
CONSEQUENCES CALL TO ACTIONS
WRITTEN HERE LONG AGO IN STONE
BEWARE OF WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND BROKEN
NEARLY SPOKEN WORDS ARE NOT HEARD
WHEN FINDING DISORDER IN ONE SO TRUE
RED ROSES ROMANS
IN THE NEEDLE’S EYE RIDING
DEATH LEGIONS RIDING INTO WAR
ADVANCING VEXILLUM FORWARD
WITH HELMET SHIELD AND SWORD
FROM PRAETORIAN TO AUXILLIA
BLEEDING ROSES THORN IMPERIAL
RED OCHRE CARMINE AND CRIMSON
ALONG THE FIELDS OF BATTLE
ONCE SOLID HOURS SPENT WHOLE
VANQUISHED FOES NOW WHOLLY TORN
VICTORIOUS OMNIVOROUS ROMANUS
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK AND WAGES
RETURNING PROUD AS POETS WAVING
DICTIONARIES LIKE A TALISMAN
RED ROSES ROMANS
FOUND FIRST TO BE NAMED AFTER
KNOWING THE BLACK AND THE WHITE
COLORATUS LITTLE WORM LIKE BLOOD
CELEBRATING LIFE HEALTH AND VICTORY
TRUE BEAUTY AND EXCELLENT HUES
SHADES BOMBARDING THE SPECTRAL
LIGHT AND DARK OF HEART’S RED
POURING OUT OF HEMATITE HANDS
IN CAVES OF THE LATE STONE AGE
TO AN UNKNOWABLE FUTURE’S EDGE
I SMASH ALL THE PAINTED POTTERY
MAKING ALL OF HISTORY CRASH DOWN
PRAYING TO ISIS TO PROTECT ME
FROM ALL THINGS EVIL AND RED
RED ROSES ROMANS
MARS GOD OF WAR SITS AND WEEPS
LIKE AN ARMCHAIR ACTIVIST FOR
THOSE FOR WHOM THE MUSIC HAS
FINALLY PLAYED ITS LAST CEASURA
THE FORCE OF WHAT WENT THROUGH
ONLY SHOWS THE WEIGHT OF ITS SHAME
HAVING BLOOD ON HER HANDS AND
DYED IN THE GRAIN OF WRATH ONE
SIN OF THE SEVEN DEADLY BABYLON’S
WHORE SEEKS SUCCOR AT THE DEVIL’S
BALL TONIGHT HALFWAY BETWEEN
BICYCLE SMILE AND E-STIM AND DRUNK
ON THE BLOOD OF SAINTS ALL AT ONCE
WE FIND THERE IS NO EXIT
RED ROSES ROMANS
WHAT MOTHER OF A DEAD TONGUE
PAYS THE PRICE WE ALL HAVE PAID
WHICH ROADS LEAD TO IT ALL
AND UPON THIS ROCK ETC ETC
WE SOMETIMES LEARN BY THE END
WHEN SACRIFICE IS POWER
WHEN PASSION PAINS LIKE FIRE
WHEN BEAUTY IS IN THE BLOOD
WHEN LOVE FILLS ALL DESIRE
WHEN CARDINAL CROSSES SCARLET
BY FACT OR HISTORY OR PURE FANTASY
IS THIS WHAT WAS BORN ONTO YOU
ONE WHO SPEAKS BEYOND DOUBT
PROMISING EVERLASTING DAYS TO COME
RED ROSES ROMANS
SOME TOMORROWS WILL NEVER BE
AS KINDRED AS THE ANCIENT SPIRITS
BRONZE FEET ONLY GO SO FAR
FACTS HAVE A WAY OF SHIFTING
SO NEVER BE SO SURE OF ANYTHING
MORE AND MORE ANOTHER MOMENT
GOES ANOTHER AGE FRAGMENTS
CRYSTALLIZES REFRACTS AND BREAKS OFF
BECOMING MILLION YEAR OLD CARBON
THEN THERE’S NOT MUCH LEFT
SO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE
FEELING A GLIMPSE THAT THE MOMENT
WAS TRULY HERE AND CLOSE AT HAND
BUT NOW GONE
“POSTSCRIPT” Copyright © 2014 by Christian Ortega. Used by permission of Hispanic Paradox Press, All Rights Reserved. www.christianortega.com