15
ALL OF YOU UNDISTURBED CITIES
HAVEN'T YOU EVER LONGED FOR THE ENEMY?
I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU BESIEGED BY HIM
FOR TEN ENDLESS & GROUND SHAKING YEARS.
UNTIL YOU WERE DESPERATE & MAD WITH SUFFERING;
FINALLY IN HUNGER YOU WOULD FEEL HIS WEIGHT.
HE LIES OUTSIDE THE WALLS LIKE A COUNTRYSIDE.
& HE KNOWS VERY WELL HOW TO ENDURE
LONGER THAN THE ONES THAT HE COMES TO VISIT.
CLIMB UP ON YOUR ROOFS & LOOK OUT:
HIS CAMP IS THERE, & HIS MORALE DOESN'T FALTER,
HIS NUMBERS DO NOT DECREASE; HE WILL NOT GROW WEAKER,
& HE SENDS NO ONE INTO THE CITY TO THREATEN
OR PROMISE, & NO ONE TO NEGOTIATE.
HE IS THE ONE WHO BREAKS DOWN ALL WALLS,
& WHEN HE WORKS, HE WORKS IN SILENCE.
..WHEN IN A SULTRY NIGHT SHOT WITH LIGHTNINGS THE PLANE IS LANDING AT BEAUVAIS OR KALAMAZOO
& A STEWARDESS MOVES ABOUT QUIETLY SO NOT TO WAKE ANYONE WHILE THE CELLULAR WAX OF CITIES GLIMMERS BENEATH
I BELIEVED I WOULD UNDERSTAND BUT IT IS LATE & I KNOW NOTHING EXCEPT LAUGHTER & WEEPING
THE WET GRASSES OF FERTILE DELTAS CLEANSED ME FROM TIME & CHANGED ALL INTO A PRESENT WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END