THE WORD FROM BEYOND
John Tynes
The first incantation is the last of the twelve syllables
from the secret name of S'lothotta. It is to be spoken in times
of great stress and only in a moment of purest clarity. Ranging
beyond the doorway, it is possible for the Adept to grasp the
fragments of S'lothotta's carapace as it crumbles into a thousand
concepts. Embrace your last and worst effort, conceived as it
was in the midst of futility and subornment.
In Montessori they ride the sled
down the hill enveloped in red
you swore to me she never said
"Come, Arthur, take me to bed."
Within the trunk of the world-tree nibbles the
mandibles of S'lothotta. Draw them close to you, breathe in their
acidic aroma, allow the jelly of your eyes to be drawn out piecemeal
by those who wish you well for they will use the tenderest instruments.
Young Aleister knew the rest
spun chi up his spine and
lodged it in his chest
"Wishing you all the best."
The mind is a vat of compression and digression, pulsing
ever, pushing always. It is fervid, fungal, fertile. S'lothotta
compresses the space between forebrain and hindbrain; yet it is
Shub-Niggurath who rides the synapses 'twixt.
Within Oakwood the goddess spoke
in Constantine's but a flaccid joke
Sheela-na-gig's coming fast yet
"Got a fiver I'm broke?"
Sheela-na-gig was worshipped of old, is worshipped
today, will be worshipped again. The arched vulva offers comfort
to those who probe its depths, accept its warmths. Drink deeply
from the cup; yet beware the red tide.
Contraction and reaction the day is done
your blood was not the only one
spilled by the shell from the gun
encrusted by the heat of the sun
All Things Dark and Dangerous is Copyright © 2000 by Corey Whitworth
The Word From Beyond is Copyright © 1997 by John Tynes