The Illusive

I champion the illusive, but it flees
Into the night, gone with the dreams of fairies,
Love on the battlefield, and griffins’ aeries.
I mark the sound of the antiphonies
You started (not to hearten but to tease),
And drink about a dozen bloody marys,
Easing my conscience. Sunset on the prairies
Yields up more dust, more unsolved mysteries.

Crack open all the windows, take on trust
My word that nothing bad will happen here.
Illusions permeate the atmosphere:
You think you see right into the earth’s crust,
Believing that you have done what you must,
Believing everything you said was clear.