Rhythm by Jenni Fagan

IN THE BEGINNING, ALL IS BEAT

The first thing felt, beat, heard, beat,
seen in blackened red? Beat.

In the beginning all is beat.

All the wheels that turn, beat. Staccato
rain lashes tin, beat. Marching sleet soldiers
spit cadence to a concrete haze, beat.

Tired weary that is my heart, beat.

Beat righteous.
Beat true.

My dead friend, beat, says it’s strange
to stare unblinking at the Universe
when you can’t take in nor out a breath, beat.

First the beat, last the beat, all the time between, beat.

Neanderthal man stomp on dusty floors, beat.
Voodoo and the queen of time, beat.

Before the fires, beat, in the bang, beat,
the unknown evermore, beat, beat, beat.

This is the beat that you know and you hear,
you first met flying in blackened red,
beat, infinite first of ends, beat.

Beat righteous.
Beat true.

This island floating in space, beat,
lust beat, hate beat, horror pain decay, beat.

Volcanoes erupting oceans of lava
five hundred billion
years ago, beat, beat, beat.

The first things beat and the first thing heard was beat
which they then on and thereafter knew, beat.

In beat
the beginning
the flying the seeking
beat ever repeating
beat words beat song beat soul,
first beginning of ends, beat
in song the beat began beat
it is beat begins the song

beat.