Like A Bird

Be merry, like an     invisible bird, like a bird     who doesn’t mind
not being seen; perched     among leaves     (either you or the bird,     it doesn’t
matter)     you hear a song you’ve     heard all the time     and now you get
to hear it     for the very     first time.

So, happy     and saying yes all the time     and why not hang out      playing skeeball
and move,     not to New York
but to rethink dreams     make them do     useful work.

Horace

Tell me if you know.     Tell me if
the mouth is a cave     if the mouth is not belief     tell me you do not
believe in some version     of the falconheaded God
Horace,     who is protecting you;
he swept the night out of the sky,     when you were running,     he was with you
during the riots     when they busted in     the windows then they
smashed all the clocks     and this one guy walked out
with watches up and down     both of his arms
we do without time but     it will do whatever it     wants to us.

Another word for     regret.     Another word
from my     formal mouth.     Sentences that are
supposed to     relate to     one another.
With good luck     and some grace,
like a ghost but     not like a ghost
I try to explain     to Him     that I am real but
I’m not that real.