Still Can’t

We can’t say this well.

We must ask for help

From words that were placed

Well a long time gone,

That she had gone all

The way to the edge

Of the lake to rest

Her head, close her eyes

And then had come back

For our sakes. We know

What that is, the trip

Back from the lake’s edge.

For the trip back out,

We know how to put

The right ones of us

In some kind of line.

But for the turn, cold

And numb, from an end,

Which we have known, done,

We find we’re still dumb.

Those words, meant to be

From the child who lost

One who did not turn,

Stake the claim we can’t,

To think that things were

Held in place, are held

In place by a web

Of words. We have tried.

All Times Are Not One

What is to be done?
No, not that one. Why
Will be done, on Earth
As it has been done,
Not quite what was done?

Why will be done things
That are so near things
That were done and done
Well, so much the same
We’ll say they’re the same?

When you’re dead you’re not
Done. For you, you weren’t.
For the rest, you shift
As they shift and sift,
You’re all you’re to them.

When you’re done, you’re gone,
You weren’t, not to you,
But, this time, too, not
To them. To the world.
What we can’t know is

Just what we can’t know,
Which is where things go,
Once they’ve gone for good.
For good leaves no scars,
No marks in the stars.

Spare

Not such a tight grip
That life can’t spare you
A deep gasp, a sweet
Hour once in a while,
Most of you, at least.

The force of change lets
The pause it left out
Stand in. We can mourn,
If not feel at peace
For long, in bare air.

We, yours, what you say—
Take the damned text and
Do a thing or two
With, to it—you pick.
That glass bowl right there,

The one with ripe fruit
And sweets, close to hand
In the midst of this,
That’s one word for spare.
Think how right it is

As you reach for it
That one word should mean
What’s left, waste, not used,
And what’s lean as bone.
Spare us life’s sweet air.

Lake of Days

What’s left? More breath.
Sky like a fish
Rose from the depth,
Swam to the west.

More breath, some death,
More breath. With luck,
More breath than death
For some time yet.

That’s what we’ll get.
That’s all we get,
Come down to it.
Take a deep breath,

When you can. Skies
Swim past. Days shine
In schools, east-west.
Take long, deep breaths.