A Knowns by Paul Brookes

It is an honour to be an acolyte
in the temple of the knowns.

We are surrounded by mystery.
In the secret religion of the knowns

We are given awareness and knowledge.
Darkness is knowledge. All mystery

Is in the light. We journey underground
To smell, taste, hear and touch the dark.

Each level of a known is a deeper darkness.
Light is so shallow and insipid.

I pray the dark becomes deeper
that I may be an absolute known.

Paul Brookes was, and is a shop assistant, after employment as a security guard, postman, admin. assistant, lecturer, poetry performer, with “Rats for Love”, his work included in “Rats for Love: The Book”, Bristol Broadsides, 1990. First chapbook “The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley”, (Dearne Community Arts, 1993). Read his work on BBC Radio Bristol. Recently published in Blazevox, Nixes Mate, Live Nude Poems, The Bezine, The Bees Are Dead and others. “The Headpoke and Firewedding” (Alien Buddha Press, 2017) illustrated chapbook, “A World Where” (Nixes Mate Press, 2017) “The Spermbot Blues” (OpPRESS, August 2017).