1

to wake to the dark, misread the clock, think it

says five, sky between blinds black, turn again

to the pale green numbers and its two-oh-five,

you’ve slept an hour yet you’re awake as though

a night and a day had passed.

but this is the day and the night

2

in the eyepiece

of the camcorder:

a woman wearing

mostly black,

black turtle neck

black pants,

walks quickly down

a city street

glistening

with rain.

Pan to my face

reflecting the news

of her astonishing

departure.

We be what we be.

3

“Being cut again and again causes extreme pain, so do

not be afraid when the white pebbles are being counted,

do not lie and do not fear the Lord of Death. Since

you are a mental body you cannot die even if you are

killed and cut up. You are really the natural form of

emptiness, so there is no need to fear.”

4

Like soft cotton swaying

the reeds

in Hellcat winter cold.

I think it’s Emma Goldman

I’ve fallen for

each time:

a spirit

that hisses

nole me tangere