Encyclopedia

What thoughts I’ve had
who knew?

A church steeple illuminated in the distant dark
neon blue and divine white
the quiet room but in the window
the church
reflection of a reflection
waits

Are you with the church?
he asked
boy of lengthy arm shadows
swinging loose t-shirt
tired expression of dust and grit

No

I missed what he said
slightly disturbed
wondering
bag of tortilla chips under an arm
an afternoon of walking

Distant lonely steeple in the dark
I could walk this ridgeline how far?

How far?
How long?

Time
stop the obsession

De profundis

Heard the remark of wheels on gravel
the complaining crunch of the unknown
always the expectation
relief

Church reflected and reflected and reflected in my eyes

I watched a woman tight black dress walking a bright blue perambulator
in the afternoon white heat of a dirt road
stooping cast a shadow
underarm shaven clean of shadow
mosquitoes in the breeze

Man I need a freeze out of all this bull shit
Man I need to breathe
I heard him mutter long distance
I hear everyone at long distance

I’m not going to qualify that

I’m not going to wonder how to spell pie
pye

Tonight a church steeple lights up
I’ve never seen it that way before
I don’t belong there

They’ve got tents
music
dance
speaking of breath
I don’t belong there or here
in this dark reflection of a reflecting reflection

Stepping out into that time
that moment
when a small town is dead
listening for an engine
plane
mower
any sign that I’m not deaf

I know I’m not dead

De profundis.