for Captain George N. Sibley

We need the unknown landscape

Where the moon is hunted,

Hunted like jaguar, bear and squirrel,

And the night is arrow-poisoned

Black with curare.

Songs sound like rain, 

Fish swim the air

And comets,

Mercury-tailed comets,

Rip open the sky

And scatter moon-stones, silver ash

And the wail of a million

Insect wings.  We are

Forever moving,

Full of an opal-lust,

Toward the next taste

Of flower with salt,

The next strange touch

Of ivory, black pearl and perfect

Fossiled sea horse

Lying in our palms.  Forever moving,

We share

The acrobats’ soul

Who, like all stars,

Seek the falling.