the second time i saw you
by the lake of sacred memories
as you moved above the flowers
insinuated into the afternoon like a series of allusions
we crossed small bridges in to islands of cranes
i skimmed words across the top of your waters
and monsters lazily surfaced to snatch them away
a child comes forward saying where did the morning go
a graceful swanlike girl
i turned and said who is that child baby
who is that child as she wandered away
as she disappeared amongst the swaying rushes and basalt tables
as she flew across the sunset leaving tiny ripples
as she moved into satori like a mirror
that child was killed in your war you said
that child was never mentioned again
that child was yours before you lived
that child has been waiting for you to come
no dont follow her you called after me
but i stood up suddenly and ran off after her
where are you
i decided i would sing
where are you i singed the night with this question
my lonely hidden birdling was nowhere to be sure
i was lost in my darkness
there you are you said
you stood there sadly
you stood there faintly radiant
you stood there so distantly near
still in afternoon you were
gently pulling me back into your light
back into my time and light you crooned
we sat looking out at the other islands in the lake
i told you not to follow you said softly
you shook your head so slowly
dont you ever learn( you were singing now)
is everything a song to you i said in plane words
is everything a song
and then
who will sing that child back
oh sit down and dont be silly you said but you were still singing
i dont like it when people sing the way you sing i said
i wasnt singing then but my sentences were picking up melody and rhythm
i dont want to sing i said but i was now beginning to sing
everyone sings here you said never losing your song
i dont want to always be singing i sang like caruso
my voice was carrying for miles in that silence
the rushes rustled and the cranes craned their necks
sunset was staining the crimson lake
strange currents eddied and flowed
im no bloody singer i sang out in an angels voice
my harmonized husky breathy voice reaching up to some heaven
the buddha of that heaven leaned from his cloud saying
oh wont you ever learn to be quiet
everyone has heard your song already
i turned to you then thinking do you agree
is my song not only unwilling but unwanted i stuttered
i appealed to the trees that bark
let me see the rushes
let me hear the mountains deafness
let me endure a hundred lives
let me walk inside the storm
let me wallow in followers
and in my tower of hours in a city of just days
we will recall the war
we will cancel all deaths
we will bring back the slain
we will sing em to life
we will sing such a song…
you interrupted then
with a little smile you shook your head
a little smile so sad and faint
no it said
your smile said no even as you were still
and the rushes rustled no even as they were still
and the cranes called no as they were still in the sky
no no no no no no no no no
everything seemed to be no
until i learned to love no
i loved no more than yes
i loved no more
no love
in love with my own no
maybe it was no all the time
i tried it out
no no no no no no no no no
you interrupted me again
thats not it either you sang in a voice of steal
so i sat songless for a while
thats better they all agreed
thank you yelled the buddha of some heaven
at last said the rushes
good called the cranes disappearing on a horizon
now you said
i must be going
goodbye
i thought i heard you sing from longaway
goodbye drifting on the evening air
goodbye lingering in warm currents
goodbye wafting into foreign windows
goodbye sounding in empty rooms
goodbye goodbye
goodbye