Evacuate

Because the rain
is still
pounding...
its wash of forgiveness,
its obvious metaphor
to make clean
what I thought were
the sins
of a thousand years.

Because it's pouring...
the big drops strike the roof
it may not stand,
may not contain the furious rush
that brings home
not a thought,
but a promise.

And I cannot hold it,
cannot keep its bulk from
leaking out.

It runs across the pavement
the new, the stale, the sullen, the wise,
river of soul
runs into the gutters and sewers
into what I thought could
catch it-
hold it-
ride the waves of the oceans I create
and own,
operate with efficiency and economy.

But now it's only a river
that erodes the foundations,
longs for the sea that is not mine.

The undiscovered
uncharted
unknown.
Here there be monsters-
here I meet the edge
sailing blind on only my wit-
once sharp,
now rusted by
many many years
of rain.

Here

alive and awake
watch as I amaze you with
my unmitigated here-ness
my unapologetic presence
and the bubble in which
I ride the verb of being
still alive and awake
after all this time
the dark years
of cold and sleep fall away
spiritual dust
and I am
as yet
until further notice
alive and awake
defying all with my literal persistence


2007

Out

release
out in a rush
by my ear
goes the sizzle of air
white and cool
it has no breath
it has no voice here
but speaks
of the openness
it fills every square inch of this place
with a sibilant whisper
a pale liquid thought that streams
across my face
and carries with it
what seems to be
smoke
just smoke


2007