Arpine Konyalian: THE BLACK EEL
Silent
blind of skin
bearing heavy what was told
in smoothness that is denial of form, categories
of scaly, crusty, protruding
of scaly, crusty, protruding
categories... she moves
black and blind
with stone-colored madness in her eyes
with stone-colored madness in her eyes
in her enlarged eyes that carry
the bulge of drowned Mesopotamia
on their pupils, that focus back and forth
that flutter . . .
her strong-muscled jaws have disappeared inward
the bulge of drowned Mesopotamia
on their pupils, that focus back and forth
that flutter . . .
her strong-muscled jaws have disappeared inward
within themselves, and she hurts
from the thinness of purpose that presses
from the thinness of purpose that presses
hard on her lips
the black eel knows
an obscure deaf matter that is
sand of Palmyra against her skin
a hovering of wetness that warps her
the black eel knows
an obscure deaf matter that is
sand of Palmyra against her skin
a hovering of wetness that warps her
carries her through foreign land
slithering
through foreign rock, over
huge water reflecting her form
awestruck and twisting ...
she is blanked with befitting instinct
through foreign rock, over
huge water reflecting her form
awestruck and twisting ...
she is blanked with befitting instinct
that drives her in a release, thrusts her
charm, evoking the demons of the sea
the orange of the sun
the yellow-orange that beguiles her
that she evades, knowing
she is star material
on earth, rock material
striped silk material of aeons
soon to be splintered, dispersed
into a groaning cycle
of black eel
eel unto eel
nothing will stop her
not even her awkward skeletal mind
she has been on her way
for a long time now
the yellow-orange that beguiles her
that she evades, knowing
she is star material
on earth, rock material
striped silk material of aeons
soon to be splintered, dispersed
into a groaning cycle
of black eel
eel unto eel
nothing will stop her
not even her awkward skeletal mind
she has been on her way
for a long time now
This poem appeared in the Winter 1981 issue of Ararat
