Elements

Blue smoke belches, hidden fire blown
ragged and spurting
by a wind that cannot enter-in
this high-windowed room ...
		at my left hand my washing
		at my left hand my bread
one cup clean and ready
for wine warm and red.

There is no mouth to form a vowel
no words strung, no airborne
thoughts to surge, to disturb
the sanctity of silence ...
		at my left hand my washing
		at my left hand my bread
no owner's bone well-formed
to trap it in, for I am one
and one alone

freed by suffering
when suffering is silence and alone
silence and the dark ...
there are recesses down there
cage the pain the loss the fear
and facing outward one blank stare
uncomprehending all the living
doing things out there.
		at my left hand my washing
		at my left hand my bread

Information-in
is a sinking thing we drink
like dry earth doused
in colours, sights, sounds,
watering the cracks that run
east of the moon
west of the sun
watering the land between
in one long filling, one long hydration
till our souls end where they began,
		clean linen
		clean linen
like this wine warm and red
that human hands have made
full wells brimming, cupped
liquid flushing in the veins.
		clean white linen
		clean white linen

Time soothes all cries
nullifies our compromise
the numbing feel of dirt and deeds
becomes clean seeds.
		at my right hand the wine
		at my right hand the wine

Our journey done, our soaking eyes
we raise towards the sun
breathe the air, wash our hands
burn the stubble in our fields
for we are clean
with daily washing, daily bread
the life that human hands have made
the dirt and deeds all done and said
the flame become
		clean linen
		red wine
		fresh bread.

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