If I could paint

Could I find pearls enough in my palette

    for the nacreous clouds of heaven?

a sufficiently infinte range

    in the monotones of lavender,

        grey, blue, white

    to convey the shifting tantra,

        the meditation of shapes,

        islands peaceful as purple cows?

Could I illustrate

    the sibilant trill of a bird

        never before heard,

show the shadow of wings seen from above,

    the crows' flight

    surprising as black handkerchiefs

    flapped to life?