FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE TREE DISTANT DUMB A VOICE A GLANCE REVEALS NO ONE ONLY TREE DISTANT SILENT AGAIN GLANCE NOTHING NOTHING BUT TREE MUTE STILL DISTANT AND FROM THERE IS HEARD A VOICE LOOK AWAY AND HEAR THE DULL MURMUR THE MUMBLED STAMMER OF WORD AND SYLLABLE FROM WHERE ONE KNOWS NOT BUT KNOWN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TREE NOT THOUGH TO BE SEEN GLANCE PERHAPS NOW AND AGAIN BUT MOST TO LOOK OUT THERE AWAY AND FAR AT GREY AND FATHOM CLOUD AND SHIFT ALL THIS TIME THE VOICE MURMUR OF DRY SYLLABLE FROM THERE BEHIND TO SCRATCH THE EAR AND BLINK THE EYE AS ONE SHIFTS IN SHADE AGAINST THE GREY SWAYING SHADOW WITHIN THE MIST THEN PAUSING STILL TO HEAR THE VOICE WITH BENT HEAD AS IF TO PRAY
there as then to hold and if say to hold or call and cradle long to there as any would give of then yes curl cradle the button yes any would see dull pitch of swollen grain a figure no none would as any soon be this too and there on the floor crawling to and back again ask of this yes will you between the legs chairs and crawling still curl cradled blue there dark there curled in the dark and crying yes if any know that how they soon look glass and beam often huh so often long to long to they yes ask is that no again none and dark pitch along the fold do not ask no tell no telling through the green and hear the bells at last no as then hold yes cradle find the chair and curl there but through the green in the dark curl cradled in the blue dark of what then echoes of bells and none to give yes is this as too soon and dull crawling curled lame through
AND FROM THIS KNOW NOTHING ONLY GREY THE EYES SOFT GAZE HEAD STILL BENT BLINK AND SHIFT BEGINS AGAIN THE SWAY DARK SHADE OF ONE ALONE IN THE MIST FAR DISTANT THE TREE STILL MUTE A GLANCE TO THERE FROM WHERE THE VOICE AND LOATHING LOOK BUT NONE TO SEE SO ONE RETURNS TO STARE AFAR PAST CLOUD AND SHIFT LISTENS TO THE FAINT MURMUR DRY SCRATCH AGAINST THE EAR
for this too not old as then quite young yes and little hands to clutch and cling then crawl through stubble weed and chaff what to itch fading the window is that no none white brick and numb so old as paint again no the floor dust and creak slip from the beam echo black then laughter climb again stretched on green wedged between wall and back swollen cheek ask no not yet the wrinkled warm passed and sent sitting there squeezed tight blown in the stinging eye the bright plucking light stretched thin among the weed and chaff among the green so lying there curl cradled the glass and beam is that perhaps no a figure not ask no telling tell come to this call from the green in itching chaff blind among the light for if
NOW THE TEMPLES BURIED THE EYES CLOSED TIGHT A GESTURE TOWARDS THE TREE SO SLIGHT THEN SWAY AND SHUFFLING SHIFT AS SHADOW MOVES THROUGH CLOUDED GREY THEN STUMBLING FALLS TO SEAT AND SIT KNEES TO CHIN CLASPED ELBOWS BOUND AND TIGHT FOR MUTE THE TREE BUT A VOICE COMES STILL AND EARS THOUGH DEAF CAN HEAR IT SHUDDERING HUDDLED IN THE DARKENING MIST THE EYES UNBLINKING TAKE IN THE HAZE
be to cry this every call no not find and turn to bright the door unfaded as this this you cry turn look falling fast down and stretched come crying each come forward toward to take happen back and send trip through green the buried each his turn turn too take ask no tell tear and rend the cap he asks another voice so to bury there all crawl beneath the green fading light in and then to show pierced the eye the eye caught scratched the glass chaff and yellow fall again the beam and sand shimmer shift cradled golden splinter crack so young so old as grey not too none and never ever shall be we ask so to ask but splintered light as every call to door and back on hilltop green stretched to blue warm wrinkle smooth send faded twist of willow whip or twisted swing tumbling sent bend not too old more buried lowing tear these faded dust creak and nibbling scratch cool cling in fury fast to close and weep no shelter there clutch and cling to purr in cry where they no none soft slanted shingle scratch to there they ask as you no more this to then will if hands older clasped but not and shattered knotted string to yell and run through lowing
ROCKING THERE THE DARK GROWS DARKER GREY AND MIST THICKER FELL AS A HUDDLED HEAP OF SHADOW PLUGS ITS EARS KNEE-FISTS ITS EYES NO MATTER IF ONE CANNOT SEE NOR HEAR STILL THE TREE AND A VOICE FROM THERE A VOICE OF NONE FROM NOWHERE THERE AND DISTANT QUIET THE TREE STANDS DUMB SO ROCKING GREY AND FATHOM CLOUDS THAT SHIFT AS SHADOW SWAYS LOOKS NOT SEES NOT EARS CLOSED BUT HEARING STILL
for to and yet to call these those and shelter huddled harbour from rain and other lean out the window gather splinter steep crawl and shale fell from out to bright and they always see their eyes yes you under the light blue then always as you could yes know as if to touch then cling these hands no longer wrinkled wretch so ‘long the green beneath you crawl and then as though to see and eyes fall as too from beam come light through darkness fell then laughter yes and echoed bell this they no none still none don’t but look no bother not to look still none naught to darkness plucked or light blind this as then old now young come to call cry in swollen dark or this to cradle here and dull fingers creak along the stretch fold in pitch to yellow crawl and sandy bright beam and glass lean wrinkled sun the eyes out fetch shelter with splintered lowing brick the knotted string to ask
SO NOWHERE NONE IN DARKNESS FELL LISTENING NOT BUT HEARING STILL WITH NONE TO ASK AND NONE TO HOLD IN CRADLED MIST THE HAUNTED LOOK OF EYES TOWARDS WHICH NOTHING SEE AND LISTENING NOT BUT HEARING STILL THE ARMS CURLED TIGHTLY ABOUT THE KNEES THE SWAYING SHIFT OF SHADOWED MIST A FINAL GLANCE TO FADING TREE SILENT DISTANT TO BE SURE THAT NONE AND THIS BE CERTAIN BUT FADING TOO THE HEAD TURNS BACK TUCKS CHIN IN KNEE UNBLINKING EYES TO NOWHERE POINT THROUGH GREY AND FATHOM CLOUD AND SHIFT FOR YET FROM TOWARDS THE TREE A VOICE THROUGH DARKNESS SENDS DRY SYLLABLE TO SCRATCH AND WORD TO TELL
just to be as any would here too in swollen dark make as if to sing sing not choking suck with knotted breath yes too then too ask again come cling to stretch as seen from beam to sandy yellow through glass darkness pitch chaff and itch in dark blue darkness fell and splashing thrashed with choked off breath they with eyes eyes too and send to stare as if with this in green as warm wrinkled send no none to dust and creak flowered grey with beam and hue come towards with nothing you so warm in cradled hilltop gold and lowing moved faded brick to fill the hollow leveled low the willow true from twisted tumble and stretching tell just this this be cradled cry in purr beneath twisted branch fork to scratch and scrape through warming as to fall from beam electric worn thick with wrinkled one by gorge that runs dark to cradle the trembling crawl through to leaning there curled in chaff down ladder fell
EYES OPEN WIDE THAT NO LONGER SEE EARS TOO THAT CANNOT HEAR LIE STILL AND SILENT IN THE MIST AND FATHOM ONLY NOW A TREE DEAF WILL LISTEN SWAYING MUTE IN THE BLACKENED MIST EYELESS SEE NOT LONE WITNESS TO THE HAUNTED STRETCH FAR AND DISTANT IN THE VOICELESS GREY WHEN YET NO OTHER THOUGH CLOUD AND SHADE BY THEN RECEDE THERE STILL THE FIGURE LIES THERE COMES FROM TOWARDS TREE A VOICE TO SCRATCH AND DRY TO TELL OF THAT WHICH NEED NOT LISTEN NOR HEARING HEAR THE MURMUR DULL AND STAMMERED STILL
green yes none yes hold too would they could this too yes shelter send so not and old this they bury in the run call cry cradled in the dark dark from beam through laughter all this and other tell no ask no tell no send as knotted string shattered over hilltop run swollen crawling through the glass that and how their eyes long to long to no other there yes and if
Paris/Toronto, 1989-90