DARLING ANTELOPE

Darling antelope
in apricot fields
you must lie
with the orphans
of the night
offering prayers
to the empress
of the moon
whose vines hang
like heavy tassels
over a rich man’s house
where sweet wine
acidifies
the cool wall’s distant
breath
and cider brings forth
messages of hope
from black islands
where prisoners
are thrashed
like thunder.