Over Time

October 2004 1 Not much. Less. Slip of a finger, diminished interval, maybe third of three or two. Water mirrors house with high green door opening out (no steps) into pure air. 2 Air pockets three hawks. Cat got the bird got the cat. Overflown. A habit of flight. Worn cloud on the edge of edge. Wisps. Little tongues. 3 Tongues at work.Talk Today She could did for an hour or more. My first her, who gave me words. Then at the end, before, merely Oh! A moment of... of more, perhaps. Oh sweet and blessed could be. Oh my soul 4 Soul slept, called in sick. Late sun clouds the lake with clouds. Katydid down to -did -did. Nothing to be done. Little sun, quarter moon. 5 Moon covered, un- covered, covered again, cold. Cold and hot, very and both. Disturbed the Sea of Tranquility. Distributed by the Moon Shop. Distributed self in pieces. Oh my broken. 6 Broken down, or out, as in war, or into, soon: my own him. How much we carry around under our skins, many we were, girls and boys Now now And then then. 7 Then gone and then to come: all the time, except the split second, except— All the time in the world. And out of this world? Oh little heart on my wrist, where are we going? 8 Going home: packed her bags to go back ninety years burning skirt broken fork slow train the old house current counter under cross The one who gave me time is out of time. 9 Time to shut the rattling windows slamming doors And if at first you don’t and if you try again and don’t you slip a little slide Rope burns hands over the book the pages over 10 Over time she— Overtime. Timer she was Click I mean I. Would work the week long song bird in the— Burning bush ahead, red sumac jeweled by sun. 11 Sun, here come the clouds again. Between us. You could care: you’ll swallow us up on your way out. You’re almost halfway there, and here am I, way past half. 12 Half-life, half-light, half- moon, half-mast: low flag, and every evening down. Discovered a world of green in him, on the shore of newfound skin His different hand 13 Hand over hand over: change for an empty Enter the bare page Oh keep him safe in his thin shift on his metal bed 14 Bed for one, my very one, own, oh let him let him Someone’s deep inside him now, something inside him’s taken is it is he let him breathe 15 Breathe light hold in the light: him at bandaged rest, her last year in her last bed: the apple pink just under the skin: I am floating again a little less less the chord resolving. 16 Resolved, that leaves should turn and turn: color to motion to rest. Flutter of yellow, flash of red, bronze- leafed trunk fallen across the path. Ducks twitch white tails over the water, geese stretch necks ... All fall down. All rise. All different. 17 Different from us. Dry, quiet. Still. Still Freeman    Sarah    Rebekah   John locust    maple    hornbeam     oak Timothy. Bent grass under our feet, over their bones. Katheryn. Out of. Under and over. 18 Over my— my tiny planet, growing colder, little train that could but where’s the track?   On,off again, over my, un- done, nerve flinched at No. But maybe If— 19 If. Only. Then again. But out of time just now as the lace of yellow locust leaves molecules particles waves catches its breath begins to hum. 20 Hum of words under words: brief for breath, him for hum, him still in his bed for one— And clouds so thick and fast the whole sky’s turning. 21 Turning now to the newsy world the Red Sox take last four claim pennant countries taken in or out people counted no count bombing voting mission killing vision blurred our leader says God says had hatred in his heart he said rage testosterone he said our leader vote for God 22 God is not a Republican Democrat Yankee Red Sox fan of him or her— But him is whom our bed is holding, him my one is home again, oh bless him keep him safe this little time that is our life. 23 Lifetime, timeline, line- up, down time, no time to lose time, all time gone. More of them, body count a full count, bases loaded, all bets off, one by one, or war time lots, all at once. 24 Once there was a girl, a boy, end of story in one first word, once she was and nothing’s left of her except me oh my and her him too: her last days he also came all back to me but now my own him is here is not once upon but times many. 25 Many, as in instances, or all, one, as in passing, as in course of: two words for time, in Vietnamese, but one for all the times to do, for go went gone, as in, this colder day, the geese: only ducks and gulls on the little pond, its tiny island. 26 Island’s I, for all the thinking not (no man no self). Island’s home, at least for some. But here’s a little boat for back and forth with one beside, rowing through the eventide, the late evening. 27 Evening out. On the town, out of town: city wearing your black dress sequined with lights, I am coming down for an even- ing out, in bed beside. The rest: held by, holding. 28 Holding on the Red Sox won eclipsing even the full eclipsed moon a moment outside the trouble we’ve seen though the TV had to bring in the war the war that people believe is good because they want to believe it’s a winning team 29 Teeming with leaves, trees and ground all gold around gray stones: I am greeting my last neighbors, we shall all be changed, pieces of gold slipping into air. 30 Airborne, air-born, hand- sized cradle to hold a soul, no broken- bough fall. Good news today, but best in the air, this old new leaf, turning it over. 31 Over and over again and again, time after time, stone upon hallowed stone. More than bones, ghost- thin skin, I’m here, much less less. Not yet not.