death imbibed
from a shining goblet
shared by a wounded
dragon-slaying singer
and the girl
with golden hair
thoughts of their king
weigh on their heads
staining their pleasures
with a gilt pallor
their bed halved
by his sacred sword
under white sails
blackened in the telling
bringing succor to his bed
ashore she stumbles
hying herself to his side
to drink again
the bitter draught
Shelly Bryant splits her time between Singapore and Shanghai, working as a teacher, freelance writer, researcher, and student of Chinese language and culture. She is the author two volumes of poetry, Cyborg Chimera and Under the Ash, and a travel guide to the city of Suzhou entitled Suzhou Basics. She loves to read, write, cycle, and travel, and enjoys the opportunities for all of these that her present migratory lifestyle affords. You can visit her website at http://web.me.com/shellybryant.
