Re: The Hashish-Eater
Posted by:
Frederick J. Mayer (IP Logged)
Date: 9 October, 2002 12:09PM
I wanted to try and submit this poem of mine to the tribute poetry page, but couldn't fiqure out how to do it. So, I put it here and maybe Ron, or Scott or someone can get it to the right section, if it meets your requirements. So, I am sorry for all the poor souls who suffer through it here.
I have earned my living as a poet/writer since the 60's. If one looks at the site Ultimate Science Fiction Poetry Guide under "Fantasy Poetry", they will find 1)Smith is considered the all time great SF and Fantasy poet of the "modern" period and 2) my name listed as a "significant" fantasy poet. One of my poems that led to this was "The Abominations of Yoni." While, I do not consider my poetry style "influenced" by CAS (having developed it before I had read anything by Smith), I do consider him one of the few poets I greatly admire, hence, there is some kind of influence going on there.
This poem, however, has a more direct influence as it can be seen here in the title. It comes from two main sources 1) the book The Abomination of Yondo and 2) one of the pet names Smith and his wife Carol had for each other in their more intimate moments, "Captain Nemo and Princess Yoni." There is no direct link between these two individuals and what I am writing about in the poem itself. The poem itself has gone through some changes here and there over the years (even now as I prepare an uncollected/"new" poems book of my own work). Below is the version of it as it was published in 1985 in the zine ELDRITCH TALES (which I thought appropiate considering the title of this web site, haha?). Ironically, this is also one of the poems that led to me receiving one of the "International Clark Ashton Smith Poetry Awards."
THE ABOMINATIONS OF YONI
Virgin dream in your rawed mind's matter,
grows till it is a brain's flawed jewel,
a still-born wisdom's pearl...
The Dreamer's nightmare.
Seamaid revealed to minds' distilled
psyche,
In that ceaseless dark dream coming-to-be,
(below erotic gray sea within an open skull
anemone)
a monster-woman of fin-de-siecle.
The White sea stallion leads from
aquarian sources
in dolphin delirium depths,
the black mares of midnight
(sensuous seafillies within dolphinish
soft hides)
who provide rides to the Vale of Oceans,
through exotic seas filled with tears
of the veil,
blowholes aflare.
Hot night rider Dako
harasses dream-sleeper in Ophannim's grotto
with thoughts of dry Yondo and her coming
dark yoni.
Mahadevis aqua virgin whore
was accepted to minds' sea shore,
but to know her showed her to be
Chinnamasta - La Femme sans Tete.
Succubus' deflowering by sleep-swimmer
brings
Lucille of the sea with Demon notions, and
on another side of dream...She drained
dreamer's frail frame
of vivid fluid for Id of: Lucifer's twin
fair.
Dreamer given les tetins de nid aux
serpents
and dropped within the 'good sleep,"
while his body foaming in the heat
is white of waves crescendo.
The Dream-walker is misanthropic lover now.
FJM