Egairia


A dark blue
............wearing green skin
......................that is green
...................................ivory
......threading through sand ..........asleep
entering .......from murk..... the browns of ground
..........unperceived
..through the
..........deformations
..................subterranean
wearing water ........draped with ...skin
.......stippled ............................under
.....fish
.........spotted enveloped
....waving ...........sand changing eyes ...scattered
..........garments .....discarding ..sliding over .......ivory
seasonal adolescence
................................breast
....................green
............................................surrounded
.........surrounded

visiting .......night ......Numa

.........down

...................pool


.....................filtered
.........shouting into streams

................................we are here
......................we are

rushing away



--Transfer, 2004
--Residual Fragments

The Water Temple

Passing through gardens
in the glare of Roman marble
a haze of white light obscures the green
distance

concentric rings
of would-be fountain
are filled with blooming grass
of white-silver plant angels
surrounding
a statue of Egairia
that stands like Phidias’ Athena
in the place of the well

like liquid
a pale platform
of mattress
of shower
growing columns
and canopy
vines of sheets
around her

mounting
arms and legs
of cream
or baked meringue
lifting the roof of hair

the muscles
held
as if by a gyroscope
passing between
electromagnets



--Dream International Quarterly
--Residual Fragments

Afterimage

October
near the limit of trees
on the reflective
polished granite
skinned of soil
walking
blinking
by the resting meadow
a shooting violet
green stemmed twin
living delicately

Tying dreams
while choosing stones
for a garden
making a place to live
distracted
lying

the image
of a desire
vaporized
by the heat of summer
enveloped now
by the disintegrating
campfire

I hunt phosphenes
the sun downing quickly
like the wild azaleas re-closing
chilled
to the dusk
the fingers
of the palmate sun
trailing down my closed eyelid
going delicately
past the wilderness



--Avocet, 2000