turn your attention, fledgling,
to the living structure
--the sea, where
life began--the untold potential all around you,
in you, all that's not for sale,
that would not entice hunters of bio-treasure...
now--imagine a strong ally beside you,
one who's got your attention
even when you're dreaming,
especially when you're dreaming...
and imagine you have more privacy in a big space
than you ever dreamed of,
where you read everything in a second language
and pass it on
even if you're proud to be, say, an American, or a Japanese,
you’d still want a priority seat for this play?
what difference does it make where you stand
when watching the starry firmament?
supposing we did have one language.
we couldn't express everything
in it we wanted to, even if we wanted to--
that's the good news.
lost between two shores,
you're searching for yourself wherever 'Mr. O.K. Walkabout'
meets 'Ms. Hot Dog Spa' at the door
above which is written "COMIN"—
that’s the bad news.
next time you question the universe and feel
the answer at the tip of your tongue, look
and you'll see in your field of vision,
your frame of reference, a person like yourself being
led, being led… into the gray areas,
knowing there that where the light shines brightest
the shadow is deadliest
meanwhile I'm watching you like a star
Botsford, Alan. A Book of Shadows. Katydid Books, 2003.
