goddess,

riding exhausted allnighttrain,

pointless tonight

icestreets,

rivertoots,

merginglakes-

these rubbersoul dreams

emerge from drowningsouls,

impossible blizzards,

warm breakfastkitchens,

blendedlives to goneyears,

tiredstrangers endlessatmydoor,

prevailing knives between the trees

people lineup

Eskimos blindedatbirth,

making paintings wetwithorgans,

making paintings of lowerManhattan,

drowning in loftsofwords,

where they slipintolove

for no other reason than

iceroads,

persistentrebirths,

swelteringwinters,

anniversariesofvapor

and these dreamdamagedsouls at last emerge

from other drowninghearts,

while memories of endlesslywearystrangers

once again assault my midnight door,

mergingasone,

prevailing knives between the trees

March, 1981

Paterson