Two Arts by Adrienne Rich Lyrics

Lurid, garish, gash
rended creature struggles to rise, to
run with dripping belly
Blood making everything more real
pounds in the spearthruster’s arm as in
the gunman’s neck the offhand
moment--Now!--before he
takes the bastards out

Splendor in black and ochre on a grecian urn
Beauty as truth
The sea as background
stricken with black long-oared ships
on shore chariots shields greaved muscled legs
horses rearing Beauty! flesh before gangrene

Mind-shifting gods rush back and forth Delusion
a daughter seized by the hair swung out to bewilder men
Everything here is conflictual and is called man’s fate

Ugly glory: open-eyed wounds
feed enormous flies
Hoofs slicken on bloodglaze
Horses turn away their heads
weeping equine tears
Beauty?
a wall with names of the fallen
from both sides passionate objectivity.