Civilization
You talk to me, I listen. I
talk to you, you listen. Is
this like civilization or
what? We watch our hands,
fingers knotting, twisting, for
something hidden. "Everything
you say" you say with a grin
"probably makes perfect sense
in some other world." We,
even in this silence, listen,
but whatever for? but still
we cock our heads so, what
a great conversation we are al-
most having. An elderly Chinese
man looks at us curiously, his
parched old wrinkled face stares,
unblinking, inscrutable, as if
across some strange vast distance,
but only I seem to notice him,
you are far away. I wonder
what would happen if I held
out my arms, and if I took him
in them, his thin frail foreign
body, and simply held him and
our two hearts together, would
that be unheard of? would
it upset the balance of the world
and tip it over? He continues
his steady gaze as you suddenly
stand. "You coming or staying?"
I don't say anything, and you
walk away, but lumbering slowly
as is your way, as if a fierce wind
you keep punching against it
it keeps punching you back.
.
Gerard
I saw someone who looked just like Gerard
Yesterday, he came into Angelica's and I
Looked up and he sat down at a table near me
And I couldn't help staring because his face
It was almost Gerard's face but of course
Not quite between a young man's and a child's
And when he took off his cap and all this hair
Fell down oh Gerard his beautiful hair, dark
Black and luxuriant, and I thought oh God
And so from then on I couldn't help staring
He ordered black beans and brown rice and a drink
And pulled out a book and while waiting began reading
And I wondered immediately what it was he was reading
And suddenly he looked up just once saw me staring
Oh my poor face, my it must have been something
It was a very strange moment as we stared at each
Other, and I so wanted to call across to him oh something
Like I'm terribly sorry but you remind me you do
Of someone, he was here but a moment and is gone but then
You walked in and I thought for a moment, oh just a moment
But he suddenly looked down and went back to his reading
And the moment was gone and Gerard was gone. Gerard was gone.