35. We, One, Once

away in the word | of the life we live

awash in worry and wonder | awake

there is a | the color of pigeonfeather

there was one | the opaque depths

flush and flurry | the running away

the opening up | the skein of birds

the slip of breath | away

the grasping | for air

the hunger | the fight

the slowing | the tiring

the drifting | the dying

all at once | and one at a time

the worry | the wonder

the hope | a particular turn of the head

insight | excite

parables in place of | purpose

valuable data | useless for rescue

the falling asleep | the falling away

the last dream | the dream of dying

the last dread | the dream of life

 

positioned for purpose | but lost

asway in the rush | the water lulls

the reed rustles | we listen for

we hear not | it all means something

in some obvious way | yet we have

no connection to that sense | no

answer to its call | alone | affray

vigilant | with regard to all manner of lackadaisicality

we rupture | we burst

deflate | and wallow

wonderlust | always wonderlust

what might have | what should have

against | what was | what is

taken in small doses | life is possible

the poisonous air | the rancid water

all hope lost | purpose slips away

with enough intention | to afford defeat

there was a sun once | that shone

upon a large blue bubble | within the gathered darkness

there was a light | over the horizon

 

we come here | after all | to die

that is our | practiced purpose

it just comes faster now | piles up

accumulates | in numbers moving

in numbers growing | the deathbreath

what seeps out | is what cannot

be taken back in | as sips or gasps

in handfuls | or bushels

during our short days | during our

interminable nights | the darkness

the darkness | the beautiful wailing

of voices | to tell us we have died

so we will not forget | will not

stumble onto | a false memory

that our earth is still here | that

our chests still rise | with every breath

with every tortured breath | that we

still live | still thrive | still

we do not move | we leach out

the warmth | we suck in the cold