I will lie
like dry sticks
in the sun
and befriend
the mouth of fire
I will be judged
by earth and wind
There will be serpent tongues
In the dry season
I will be afraid
The savanna must burn
Deer run
in the hot blast
Mice cower
in their tunnels
like brains
Hawk will follow the fireline
A snake will coil
strike my heart
Earth and wind
will consume the ash
my logic will begin
and the angel of my tongue speak
my hands will be the wind
and I will kiss
the mouth of fire
again and again
Questions and Answers
What inspired “The Angel of My Tongue”?
Divine inspiration and lust.
What poetic techniques did you use in “The Angel of My Tongue”?
Voice, line, internal rythmn, declaration, tense, image, metaphor, magic, realism, consumption.
This poem “The Angel of My Tongue” originally appeared in Contemporary Dramatists & the Art of the Theatre. Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 85 (Summer 1980): 70-70.
Please note that works on the Canadian Literature website may not be the final versions as they appear in the journal, as additional editing may take place between the web and print versions. If you are quoting reviews, articles, and/or poems from the Canadian Literature website, please indicate the date of access.