A Burnt Offering, #10.
by Dee Rimbaud

My great aunt—my grandmother’s elder sister—
is over fifty years dead:
no exact record exists,
but somewhere in Hamburg or Hanover
her skin still shades the harsh light of a naked bulb.

Perhaps that is all that remains of her.

The books that were bound
by the glue made from her pulverised bones
have long since been read and discarded;
and the soap made from her body fat
was used up,
scrubbing clean
the blackened faces
of Aryan coal miners.

Dee Rimbaud is an artist, writer, musician and occasional new age gypsy. He has recently returned to his native Scotland after a year of living mainly in a Mercedes 609d van with his partner and child, travelling round Britain, France, Spain & Portugal. He is author of two poetry collections, The Bad Seed (Stride, 1998) and Dropping Ecstasy With The Angels (Bluechrome, 2004); and one novel, Stealing Heaven From The Lips Of God (Bluechrome, 2004). He edited the charity poetry anthology, The Book Of Hopes And Dreams (Bluechrome, 2006). His music can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/captainmelted.

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