the house

i



arranging it is far easier 

than living it.      the books

stand ready on the shelves. 



classifications by time or place 

come naturally to me.      alone 

finding the book important is difficult. 



i’ve started to live here many mornings

opening my eyes vowing this morning

i will really begin.      objects intrude themselves: 



floors need sweeping and one carton 

unopened    is hidden in a closet. 





ii



the telescope is still

disassembled         (at night

the skies are clear).



mirrors and lenses

lie in velvet lined cases.

i am afraid to use them. 





iii



one of my cats was badly

clawed    i could see layers

of muscle and fat.    my neighbor 

warns there are foxes here.



i do not tell my neighbor 

his cats look wild.    i do not

know my neighbor's name. 





iv



there are fears to which 

i do not admit.       there are fears

which i refuse to name.        alone



in the dark        i am 

afraid of others     but also

of the clean smell



of the refrigerator;

the freshness of chlorine

draws me.       i walk quickly

towards the bedroom.



v



this morning        i cleaned 

the yard.   i saw a face

from the city     in the trees.



the face was a mask

and i pulled it off

but there was nothing.



vi



patterns in rock originated from

pressure.    the veins were once separate

stones       pushed together     stamped into 

other hard flesh.       they merged 

and became ornamental. 



                                        the colors

blend surprisingly well.     rings

match shapes and textures.    unwilling

inanimate       they played their roles

the iceberg scraping off layers         till

the desired smoothness was achieved. 





vii



i do not understand my place

in it.    it seems to have a life

of its own       made by others

simply on loan      for a year.



they ask me:   how is 

your book?     and i give accurate

gas meter readings     wondering

where i will be next year. 



the world here is fluid

the beaches undefined.    there are rocks

whose function         i do not know.