dinner

dinner came like a deserter from the
dreams of Romans.

we feasted!

sugar-syrup pirates sailed whisky boats to the tongue,
smoking, cussing and legless

wine was flung from the Sydney Harbour Bridge
- a sack of rubies glistening into the water
which the peasants dove to retrieve -

burning gravy-oil spattered from castles, iron urns,
scalded the marauding invaders
who turned and fled. The nymphs sighed relief,
reclined on the fluffed and gold-fringed, feathermost pillows,
pulling on hookahs,
puffing hovered clouds of mash
with onion
and sage