Particular Words in a Specific Order

to emerge no worse for wear
yet neither stronger so
by time and will and strength
made weary and brought low

six years of venom state
and still so far behind
bricklaid ghost town home
of the last shreds of my mind

I was ready to be done!

melancholy
shattersoul
nod & follow fiend

hands of clay
illuminator
speaker of the dream

stumble on 
the syllable
work the letters through

muddy 
mouth of nations
speak as people do

welcome
intonation
excusatory tone

apologetic master
the self-encasing stone

a ruse befuddles forewarned folk
of that which would be
done

that knowing much
is little help

and knowing little's none

a fuse befouls
any plan unmade
and foils schemes too sane

(that wet won't spark
is obvious
to those who know the rain)

call out the fortune told
this darkness blinds again

but these legs would never tread
where others could have been

it follows such that chaos flows
along my sallow cheeks

what could be said of strength and will,
of greatness,

in ten weeks?

2021