Sterling Warner


Equus Aloft

Epona, Rhiannon, Bucephalus, my names 
all invoke assured horse shoe luck, ward off
evil spirits, ogres, and sprites by planting
nithing-posts targeting nations & homes
hexing fertility, summoning shape-shifting kelpies;

I cast magic spells worked on pale riders & poets,
a charmed pendant suspended by copper links,
my visible necklace once defied corrosion, 
oxidized on acidic skin, left sea green mementos— 
avocado scars—lost love’s tarnish & equestrian grandeur;

who rested in shrines & sprawled upon altars
enjoying Celtic reverence, suffering
my sacred brethren until their neighs deliver
oracles fair and foul, divination tools tempting 
fickle fortune, keeping bridles out of reach;

as human regard & veneration diminished,
my Byzantine chain melted into ebon corners;
there my likeness swelled, drifted above cauldrons
empty, lecterns full & hovered like an equine talisman 
neither mare nor stallion—a holographic icon eternally hung;

while I drink life & death after jawbone severance 
my head alone continues to color…lime to chartreuse,
shamrock to emerald green, confined to kaleidoscope prisms
projecting effigy shadows with only a grizzled muzzle… 
twilight sculptors now conjure my fortitude’s 3-dimensions.

A Washington-based author, educator, and Pushcart nominee for poetry, Sterling Warner’s works have appeared in many international literary magazines, journals, and anthologies such as Vita Brevis, Street Lit., The Ekphrastic Review, and Scarlet Leaf Review. Warner has published several poetry collection including Serpent’s Tooth, and Flytraps (2022) as well as Masques: Flash Fiction & Short Stories. Currently, Warner spends his time writing, hosting virtual (literature) open mics, and enjoying retirement.

 
 

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