this is time beneath us swelling
making gestures offering guesses getting
closer to the moment's fragile remove

this the whole of human consciousness
sunk in what it means to live to live
to live & to converse with shadows

at length by increments by way of
(or despite) decrees against dissipation
& her volumes of graduated lament

one may desire a renewal of hallowed voices
of choices & the mysteries that showered
over other more gold-encrusted landscapes

for the very sake of the cadent sadness
of going forward to embrace territories
that harbor no sadness at all but live &

breathe incompletely what is offered