Pantoum of the Hanged Man

The hanged man, waited on the gallows tree

His lolling head slumped broken o'er the noose

His eyes - bird pecked - left sockets emptily

Open to rain by bitter wind shook loose

His lolling head slumped broken o'er the noose

Weathered to bone, in tatters, void of hair.

Open to rain by bitter wind shook loose

This bone-turned marionette that danced on air

Weathered to bone, in tatters, void of hair.

The caliban thief to brother ariel

This bone-turned marionette that danced on air

Came not to cut him down for wholesome burial

The caliban thief to brother ariel

Earthy with all the needs of mortal lands

Came not to cut him down for wholesome burial

But from each wrist to cut the murderer's hands

Earthy with all the needs of mortal lands

His brother would make magic for his crimes

But from each wrist to cut the murderer's hands

Is harder than he thought, the tree he climbs

His brother would make magic for his crimes

To gain the hand of glory of dead bone

Is harder than he thought, the tree he climbs

His heart he first had hardened like a stone

To gain the hand of glory of dead bone

To make the candle-fat from brother's thigh

His heart he first had hardened like a stone

To betray his own kin and let him hang and die

To make the candle-fat from brother's thigh

And round his neck to wind the rope begins

To betray his own kin and let him hang and die

The smiling eyeless face behind him grins

And round his neck to wind the rope begins

His eyes - bird pecked - left sockets emptily

The smiling eyeless face behind him grins

The hanged men waited on the gallows tree