Song After
1.
Song after a song after story
one of the stories which end in stumps or falsely
which are made up of poses of positions and transpositions
of positions
arms crossed her arms holding herself to herself letting her hair down
slowly so to speak
arms uncrossed band around the body of the throat
velvet
hair brushed back almost matted
from brushing from the almost painful brushing
body of the body all of it floating gone to a stone region somewhere else
floating somewhere else
hair brushed back head
to one side
2.
Positions
transpositions
seated on a chair hair let down detail of hands
detail
detail of unpainted fingernails
seated by a tree in the woods tucked into light into shadow by a tree
autumnal
seated on a chair hair let down flowers
quiet intransigent shy
shock of the reappearance of the bride wildflowers in her hair
on her knees not seated
head to one side her
hands clasped behind her back.
3.
Let it be a lullaby
song after
for she who sings herself to sleep
vocalise
rise not
swollen and swelling aria over cellos not that sound the sound
of her breathing
and fall
effortless breathing
as breath of a sleeping child given voice
vocalise
not September song not a seduction song a lullaby
not the song of a rattling tambourine held by a nymph held by a satyr
gift of a lullaby and of goodnight.
Clear
Came to me clear
clear enough question clear enough in its way
abrupt and unbidden
in the midst of the day of a sudden cutting clear through the day
to which I say can’t I
smoke too much
tongue cankered burnt and
bitter
stigmata on the roof
of my mouth doctor said so it’s true tobacco a depressant slows down
everything that happens
happens much later or never happens at all
ask me again ask something else use softer words
Sentence
What comes like a thief
in the night what other than a thief by day summer day
what sentence
other than a sentence
to translate and to go on translating
each layer each carnal layer of meaning to
the final layer final predicate of the final layerless layer by the final
sigh
of the final syllable
into the only possible consummation the only possible
translation complete perfect
of silence into
silence.