The Quorum
by Carl Josehart

A quorum of angry men
gather for their unholy deed

They bow their heads in solemnity
and begin the ancient dance
Exposing the bareness of their necks
fearing terror, like talons, will
tear at the waiting flesh

Maudlin remembrances
spurn their advancing years
Savage hearts
ravaged
by a lifetime of untold fears

But the solemnity of the circle
become a talisman for their time
Chasing away ancient demons
and binding them in heart and mind

The dance now done
the dancers rise as if to leave
Solitary struggles discarded lay in pieces on the ground
as bonds, once broken, now have begun to cleave

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