Unless I Ache

The Ancient Modern

Unless I Ache /  Joshua Alan Sturgill     

Unless the book is memorized,
it cannot be obeyed.  Unless the idol
is constructed in the heart, the god 

receives no adoration.  The real
is internal.  I polish the mirror;
I scour the walls; I renew the lamps 

before midnight.  Unless I speak
the lover’s tongue, how can I ache
for his pledge to be fulfilled?

All poetry and supplementary material: copyright 2022 by Joshua Alan Sturgill. All rights reserved.