Linger

The atmosphere is thin with cold
From this distance
the city is silent
Soft waves roll across the flat of sand
A rush of whispering voices that
come & go
My fingers are slowly numbing
But
I need some suffering here, too, on the outside of me
The quiet glow of humanity illuminates the horizon
I am suspended there
At the edge of the fade, contemplating water & ether
Time is accelerating, speeding
I am dashed by it; dragged
I need the stars again
I need the clarity of their constancy & the awe of a child
I want to say, I need you
And I do need you, but I cannot even spare breath for those three words
While my palms bleed from holding them in
& down; deep
Do I move toward the quiet of darkness
or the roar of the light? This is always the question
Then I think,
if I lay long enough on that shore, the surf will slowly roll all my sharp edges smooth
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