IGNIS FATUUS​

I​

THE ONLY SOLITUDE IS SLEEP OR DEATH​

II​

WE, WERE NOT CLEVER ENOUGH-​
KIND TO OTHERS AND​
CRUEL TO SELF WHEN SELF​
ASKED FOR MERCY AND WAS​
DENIED​

III​

THE HOLIEST PRIVACY REMAINS​
WAITING ON US,​
AND ALL THAT WAS MISUNDERSTOOD​
OR ABANDONED WILL COME TOGETHER.​

IV​

LET MY FAILURE BE YOUR​
FORTUNE: THIS THAT WAS BROKEN IN CARELESS​
ERROR--LET IT BE KNOWN​
THAT TO KNOW YOUR OWN DEATH​
IS TO DIE TWICE: ONCE REALLY​
AND THEN​
HARDLY AT ALL.​

V​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THERE IS​
NOTHING AS UGLY​
IN ALL IT'S TANGENTS​
AS THE HUMAN BEAST--A TRICK​
SET AGAINST THE BLOOD OF YOUR​
SOUL.​

VI​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
SOLITUDE IS THE ONLY MERCY AND THE ONLY​
LOVER.​

VII​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT MOST MEN​

LOVE WHAT THEY CAN SEE​
AND THEY CAN SEE EACH OTHER​
AND THEY LOVE THIS​
BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY​
LITTLE.​

VIII​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I AM​
BITTER AND DAMNED AND TIRED AND​
USELESS; LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
WHEN THE FINAL HOPE GOES​
THERE REMAINS BUT A​
STARING AT THE DANCE AND A​
WATCHING OF THE FEEBLE INTERCOURSE​
OF THE IDIOTS​
WITH VERY LITTLE​
NOTE TAKING.​

IX​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I AM​
DEAD BUT THAT THERE IS NO​
ANGER; LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
MOST MEN ARE DEAD MANY YEARS​
BEFORE BURIAL; LET IT BE KNOWN​
THAT MANY MEN DIE IN CHILDHOOD,​
THAT MANY MEN ARE BORN DEAD--​
ALTHOUGH THEIR PARTS MOVE AND​
THEY MAKE SOUND AND GROW AND​
ADVANCE INTO ADULT BEHAVIOR​
AND DO THE THINGS OF CIVILIZATION;​
LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THESE MEN​
NEVER EXISTED AND THAT THEIR FUNERALS​
WERE EXTREME FARCE, AND ALSO THE DEAD TEARS​
FOR THE ALREADY DEAD; LET IT BE KNOWN​
THAT THE WORMS THEMSELVES WERE NEARER TO TRUTH​
IN THAT THEY DID NOT​
CRY.​

X​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT A MAN NEED NOT BE​
CHRIST TO BE CRUCIFIED; LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
A MAN CAN BE CRUCIFIED EACH DAY, EACH MOMENT​
EACH BREATH;--TO SLEEP AND AWAKEN AND BE​
TORMENTED AGAIN; LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
A MAN CAN DIE AND DIE AND DIE AND DIE AND​
STILL FEEL THE PAIN AND KNOW HE IS DEAD​
AND STILL FEEL THE PAIN AND KNOW THERE IS​
NOTHING HE CAN DO AND​
STILL FEEL THE PAIN. LET IT BE KNOWN.​

XI​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE TEMPLES ARE NOTHING​
AND THE BELLS ARE NOTHING AND FAME IS NOTHING​
AND VICTORY IS NOTHING AND SEX IS NOTHING AND​
THAT SOLITUDE BRINGS MADNESS AND THE CROWD​
BRINGS MADNESS AND DRINK EATS THE BODY LIKE A​
TIGER; THAT THERE IS NO VOICE TO SPEAK WITH,​
NO EAR TO HEAR.​

XII​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
THERE WILL BE OTHER MEN SUCH AS I--​
LIFTED FOR THE LION'S MOUTH, BURNED DOWN​
BY FALSE LOVES, TRICKED BY KINDNESS, MISLED BY​
INTELLECT, DIZZIED BY POESY, SACRIFICED FOR​
PROFIT, USED AS CHEAP LABOR; AND THESE WILL BE​
THE KINDEST OF THE HAPPENINGS COMPARED TO WHAT​
WILL ENTER THE EYE AND THE EAR AND THE BRAIN​
AND SEEP TO THE INNARDS TO BEGIN THEIR DEATH-WORK.​
I PITY ALL SUCH BROTHERS OF MINE WHO WILL FOLLOW ME​
IN THE CENTURIES, UNABLE TO LOVE BECAUSE THERE IS​
NOTHING TO LOVE; UNABLE TO KILL BECAUSE THERE IS​
NOTHING ALIVE; FOREVER HANGING AND BLEEDING AND​
DIZZIED BY THE BEAST-HUMAN, THE WALLS, THE GARDENS,​
THE SUN, THE FLOWERS, THE KISSES, THE FLAGS,​
THE SEAS, THE ANIMALS, THE FOOD, THE LIQUORS,​
THE PAINTINGS, THE SYMPHONIES, ALL USELESSNESS.​

XIII​

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
BIRTH IS NOT HOLY, THAT DEATH IS NOT HOLY,​
THAT LIFE IS NOT HOLY; LET IT BE KNOWN THAT​
I HAVE BLED WITHOUT CROWNS,​
THAT I WILL BLEED IN A MOMENT,​
THAT I WILL BLEED FOREVER​
RED RED RED​
AND THE HAWKS WILL DANCE WITHIN MY BONES AND REJOICE;​
BUT THAT I DIE FOR WHAT MAN IS AND NOT FOR WHAT I ALMOST WAS--​
THEY TOO LITTLE OF ANYTHING,​
AND MYSELF JUST LIFTED ENOUGH​
TO SEE THE HORROR,​
TO SICKEN AND GO MAD​
AND WILT.​

XIV​

DO NOT TAKE AS PERSONAL​
WHAT I SAY ABOUT LIFE​
ALTOGETHER, UNLESS,​
ON ANOTHER PLANE,​
YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A​
DEFENDER OF LIFE AND MAN​
WHICH IS ONLY ANOTHER WEAKNESS​
OF THE SPECIES​
LIKE A RAT GAURDING IT'S NEST​
AND FOR WHICH I CAN NOT HOLD YOU​
TOTALY TO BLAME.​

XV​

THE ONLY SOLITUDE IS DEATH; BUT​
NOT THIS DEATH, NOT THIS DEATH, NOT THIS DEATH...​