in the fall

why fire's hot, fall's cold
science knows, but nobody's thinking about it
just happens that way. so
i'm Nobody, ok, and i think about it,
wish these either weren't either, or
were in balance: candles, crisp leaves,
blue-grey wind.

on the avenue's a man, looking
lost; dis-oriented; on the 'phone he says
"there's gravel, a blue sign, cars,"
historic novelties. but they're everywhere. "come
get me?"

words are grand friends, who leave
fall's cold if hot fire's to be had.
so it is with us mud-dwellers:
in life's cold fall i leave my friends
for fire's heat. grand or human, they do the same
to me.

"what's the blue sign say?" says
his 'phone; he squints yellow eyes to hear
our grand friends glitt'ring white meaning-full--!
but no! they're gone, incomprehensible!
mere pixel-ated hieroglyphs! "i can't," he admits;
"then neither can i," replies his 'phone
in a hang-up.

i'd visitors on Thursday. fall's cold
drove all my words away; they found fire's heat
elsewhere, perhaps. i offered my remaining
guests silent drinks and better seats in place
of conversation. "ah, my grandest friends
have left," i apologized. these couldn't
understand.

"i've nothing now," declared the gristle'd
man, illiterate and blind under
my blue street-sign. nearby's his 'phone
ringing: he imagines impotent help-offers
coming through tinny, cheap, and not
coming through.

why's this man alone? i stand and cross the stairs,
push the door open looking out; it clicks behind me.
nobody's about. his 'phone's ringing and i
scuttle down toward him with no words at all
feeling fall's chill press my grand friends back;
"come up, i have fire's heat, upstairs," i say
thinking to offer a drink, a better seat. so
i'm Nobody, ok, and i think about it
but he'll be outside for some time and i
never stood up to leave.

my view of him scales back
including late dusk clouds,
that square red brick apartment house,
plastic window-frame,
crisp-colored leaves,
a thrusting wind.
such as we are, mud-dwellers;
we leave fall's cold for fire's heat.



September '09