Shipwreck — the ark
The ship has gone down now and there is nothing left
to be done or undone
this broken swan settles into silt
crumple of rust at rest
we live after every shipwreck live
in the wake of a boat
Noah set sail released in time the raven released the dove
but there was nothing to return for or to
the garden shut the land untamed untouched by salt or hand
no reason to come back no reason
except
this winter woodland this glimmerpond at dusk
these fine hard blades that carry us
briefly and at speed
across glassy silver ice
nothing to return for but this long glide inside the deepening woods
the woods full of snow full also of silence and invisible creatures
& the night coming on in murk glitter and spark
nothing to return for except the window glowing somewhere just ahead
the window
sweet as a summer peach
there in the distance
there in the cold and surrounding dark
* * * * *
Selva oscura
& sometimes the dawn is reason enough
& the light slices open the sky peels back the dark
& the trees keep night wet and sticky in their bark
& the night says thank you to the trees with abundant shadow
& sleep requires humans to double down on darkness
& the trees are prison bars
& humans are afraid to enter there
& I am not afraid have never been afraid
& therefore I am not human
& the writer posed a question said woods or hell
& Virgil chose hell
& abandon hope the book said leave it outside
& therefore the forest is full of discarded hope
& full of abrogation
& the animals are lawless and the trees grow where they will
& wild tangle of strangeness
& I chose forest instead of hell
& therefore I am not Virgil
& I walk the trails by the light of the stars
& we are nocturnal
& nocturnal means we belong to the night
& not the other way around
& in the dark we are safe from the predators
& time is the most efficient predator of all
& we are safe from time until we are not
& through the branches the cleardark sky
& look at the sky
& the way night gives us a river of stars asleep in time
& asleep in their own burning