ISSUE: Summer 2002
The words smudged
nothing comes back no memory
he cannot remember something stirring something about falling
like a dream
we’ve had the dream of falling
through the clouds it’s quiet he cannot lift his wing will he
ever again he reads
the newspapers spread on the floor
he keeps to the floor reading none of this none of it making
sense who
are these people what is this
place yet the beautiful sentences a flicker of words returning
his flight from
a distant place reading the world
news editorials and business update the classifieds the bright
comics sports
weather sun and clouds returning
the world of words pouring the mind a sieve catching nothing
his fingers darken
reading the ads slippery coupons
his wife watches him happy home at last it isn’t him the eyes
how he alone
returned the fused metal loud
with cries how he came this far came back came part way back.
