I have barely enough time to stop,
think,
give up responsibilities,
and lay the silver of my life
on the table.
I have collected so many things,
stories, wheat fields, September apples,
a ship’s prow singing in the water,
gray eyes, clams, people,
like collage,
who go together in no particular order.
Everything speeds by,
even the pauses,
the long stare into the sea,
the night the stars took me away,
the woman who gave me shadows
and open windows.
It’s all there,
and I want to stop,
hold rocks in my hand,
weep over fossils
who show me their bones,
their brave little lives.
Statues that stand in yards
and watch over flowers.
There is not enough time
to go over years longer than years,
to watch dawns that never gave up,
and wonder how it all begins
and goes on.
Stranger,
if you dare take my hand,
stop awhile,
we are closer than you think
to being friends or even lovers.
It would be nice to share a moment,
the moments given to us.
There’s so much to do,
so much we could say.