O MAYEUX
LĒOÐ Þ FYRRSTE
Cnihtas þa ðe hæmað heom betweonan.
hit is demed þæt hý man swinge.i
Se ðe sæd on muð sendeð.
þæt is wýrreste.ii
yet each morninge whn thyss wounde in clothe iss wasshed
nd dressed , ageyne awoken newe & straunge in þs bardo ,
how its owne delicate impermenance escapes þs bodig
even as he taks it into him all snowey even yn þs winters depths ,
þ schelle so insists on schame, anciens, w no dimensiouns :
plz crsh wþout mercie or grace þ pitiefull vaisseaul plz nvr txt bck ,
inne alle oure œstrus inne alle oure hunger we r well consumed by
þt same flame whch made of us all twisted fagots,brnt,sprklng ;
deer·eyed bædling myne, whn my ivory hath ur accointance so softlie
sought all amongst th cotoun, so goest thou awaye mark’d w mye tendresse,
my darkeste tendresse, & u crie out o wǽpnmann & o thyn sweorde ;
bt mostlie its jst watchin þ wǽpn’d bcum as water ynn myn armes ···
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i B75.01.05
ii B75.03.01
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LĒOÐ Þ SECCUND
Gýf bædling mid bædlinge hæme .x. winter fæste.iii
Gif man medlices modicum hwæthwegu deoflum onsægð·sacrificat
fæste an gear· Gif he mýceles magnum hwæt on
secge sacrificat deoflum· fæste ·x· winter·iv
··· i cneow þt water severallie,its licquid onn schelle whn ynn myn syxth
sommer i came amongst þ eorþlings & spun my prettie green dresse ,
whn it was torne so rou3lie,for ·x· sommers & ·x· winters was i wþout
it,nd evn geares later i eom still allergick to næġlpollisshe ; o void of
my name , o starrieste ni3ht. my pœme becœmes þ worthieste compagnon,
& alle þ boyes ynn alle the burryd chatroomes, þ æðrnette alle shimmering
ynn shorte circuitrie : xer script xer manus , xer msn xer irc ,
/add me /add me, ·x· more sommers ofv éléctricitie , winters fold into winters ;
u was the prettieste ofv themm alle,all dance&glittr, u & ur dappled
li3ht on Flickr,bædlings both,hwirling ynn silky webbecammes, ((yes))
so darling & effete, þ wǽpnmenn cld w8 ; how far now þt daintie accointance,
how meagre after oure fæstin,oure perfect serpentrie starvd to brawn,bulk,&bristle ···
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iii B75.01.03
iv X16.01.01
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O Mayeux is the author of Artefacts (Post-Asemic Press, 2018), btwyx.txt (Damaged Goods Press, 2019) and poems in various journals.