MORE LETTERS FROM HOME

It has been a long time since I have held
the earth in my hand, it being harder
for my feet to find the rhythm of a far-away place
as time goes on. I’m alone all of the way.

And peoples’ understanding is shaken
when they learn that there is a future, that the past
can’t simply be thought of as some safari,
an adventure before we return
to settling the dust.

(January 4, 2008)

I HAD RECENTLY HELD A BABY IN MY ARMS

Seeing a mother on the television
holding her infant, I lean forward in my chair,
remembering that I had recently held a baby in my arms—
and feeling washed clean by a rain.
It’s like one jewel from a chest
hidden in the depths of the old sea has floated anonymously
to the surface.

Sitting back in my chair, awake, I felt how alone I was,
sensing how much more vast the night desert is
than I remember—and that, right now,
I can’t go any farther than this.

(January 4, 2008)