The Girl Toy

The king's goldsmith once learned
To work in flesh and made his lord
A toy more precious than
His famous golden birds
Deep in the palace the king remained with her
Servants, princes starved or went away
Former guests came once or
Twice into the banquet-garden
Where now the weeds involved the trees
And hammered figures, and never came again
Deep in the palace the king remained with her
He didn't care if sometimes he
Tasted gold in her mouth
Or cut his aging lips on a jewelled eye
My love, my love, he sang
Years they gamed in and out
Of arches and gold furniture
He obese and old, she lovely as a pendulum
And when he fell and wept and spit up blood
On his great abdomen she'd lay her head
And closing her eyelids
Like perfect machines
She'd hum or sing a ballad
Of their wedding feast