In these days of great duress
and bleating pomp, I fell upon a
loquacious child who said to me
“Do not look so forlorn,” because
beaten was I by harsh dismay.
She took me by my sweating hand
and into dank wood led me
talking all the while in nouns
in verbs in tenses never had I
heard. "I do not understand you
child, speak words I know
and say them as I have learned
to say." But she replied
“Madam is was will render
turn in turn and forth shall
mend thither whatever
word I think to say fraught
and tender.”

Alone alone
alone together
together together
together alone
alone to gather
to gather together
alone to gather
to tether to gather
to open and wander
what end to end
distend, bend
or break
against thoughts
held too tight
seeing all in
chimera of
our eyes in
other faces