13: INTERNATIONAL

Justin Lowe: Scheherazade

sleep
is the story I long to tell
death is everyone's story

when you close your eyes
think of me
and the whole world comes

its denouments are myriad
as the songs of birds
some are whispers some are screams

a sword falls
your head lolls
and you float like blood

I have come to you in good faith
listen to me
death is everyone's story

one day a sword will fall
your head will loll
night will grasp you like a knife

Justin Lowe has published three collections of poetry, one novel, and had songs recorded by artists as diverse as The Whitlams, The Impossibles and Sydney jazz diva Lily Dior. He writes reviews for the award-winning Red Room Radio Project.