formulated song [c. 1994]

Rising above me,
spread your wings, spread them
out where I can see them,
spread them.

Rising over history and the violence
that we ran from on on a tongue,
on a long passionate tongue,
along the wall

and in each other,
from a need for silent falling,
parting from a third woman;
she is nude and bathing
underneath you:

spread your wings, spread them,
out where I can see them.

I have a sum
of violent divisions
and the necessary force
and a reasonable voice,
that is reasoning,
up against the water-wall,
the wall of water,

spread your wings,
out where I can see them.

I’ve lost sight of returning,
pins and a fulmination,
pins held between my lips
and in my teeth;

aren’t you squirming underneath
the necessity of a silent thumb,
where you spread your wings,
spread them?

Any other man
and the feather of his heart,
his wet heart,
any other can

silently pull you in,
hoist you on a fly-line
up into the tower, so you will
seem to be appearing.

I am looking, I am staring.
Spread your wings.
Out where I can see them,
spread them.

We are walking slowly.
We anticipate the police.
They will take us up against the water,
between the teeth of the western wall,
and the lips of the east.

They have a sun
staring at us all.
And a violent christ-figure.
And a circus of nails and
steel furnaces. And a bullseye
painted on a blackboard stand.

Spread your wings, spread them
out where I can see them.
Spread them.

Your contractual obligations,
spread your wings,
out where I can see them.

I’ve lost sight of returning,
returning to the scene,
once in, once out of the water,
shooting after the shooting,

spread your wings, spread them
out where I can see them,

running, taking recourse,
the necessary silence,
out where I can see,
spread your wings, spread them

falling slowly,
spread them.