Nocturne

at least when we die
we won't need to hear
the horrible violinist at the bridge
at least in our lifetime

he thinks he's brilliant
he's out there every day
during the hours that are light enough
not to be spooky

crossing the bridge at night it's different
you can't really see the town
except what's lit by lights

the horrible violinist may be asleep by now
in one of the buildings you can't see
fiddling with somebody's dreams

(written in Salzburg, May 2013)

Up (for Frank Moore)

i've always wondered
and nobody's ever told me
if ourobos has his eyes open
when he swallows his tail

and how far down his body he goes
how far down he dares go
and the scales   how they feel in his mouth
how they taste

and how i don't know these other people in the subway car
as it begins its arch into the earth
past your house   ready to go back down again
i wave   in my moment of light
then down again   into my sports section
two more stops   two more stops to go

from Purgatorial (2004)