The Bites of Apples

we gave ourselves a cider hiding
bashed brains with apple venom
took the bite of stinging nettles
fell laughing on the July tarmac
and pissed in a field of rhubarb

in a green valley pierced by sunlight
along the blue slippiness of the river
following the laughter of young girls
we tracked the cheap scent of new blood
until they found us and bowed us down

later we gathered up our young cool
and joked five miles back into town
each wearing our virgins war paints
fingered kisses on thick boy mouths
lungs full of country girl' d perfume

the nature of earth's pleasures at last explained to us
by the scars of our nettle stings & the bites of apples.




John G.Hall(C)2006