for Alain Lance

of the increasing
and the way

or the long slow unfolding

of the waiting       and the imagining       and

and the knowing
the time passing without one being aware

of the only

and the likelihood

of the work
of the work       and the hope       or

or the expectation

of the woods huddling in the darkness

of the many
of why

of the everyday

of things       of reasons
of the least       the slightest

of the clarity       and the experience
how we       how we

of the progress       the small gains
and the quickly upon

of separateness

of the light the sunlight
the leaning into or away

of the sound       the sound of
or how when after 

of the

of the suddenness

of the cries       and the days 
and the shadows growing lengthening

of

of the end       and
and the need

of the stillness       and the movement
from which       out of which       from out of which 

of the nature
and the limits

of the means

of

of
 
 
 
 

Untitled IV
 
 

This       these

this               these

this             this           these
 
 

and these       and these       and these
 
 

behind that and behind that again       layers overlays       and superimposed as it were

one upon the other       one on top of the other

each       each of them
 
 

movement or movements       movement
 
 

and full of things to say       or just the one thing

but they       they       but they
 
 

what we did not see       that we should have seen       what we did not see that we failed to see

missed or passed over

light upon       movement or play
 
 

and if we could ask       what we would ask       what we would ask of them
 
 

even at the most elementary level
 
 

to distinguish them       pick them out       from all that is around

everything that surrounds them       so that the eye chooses

focusing on them alone       resting upon them
 
 

different       how different       not too different
 
 

impossible now to imagine       what it was like before

and I do not mean in the past       but only a moment before       a moment ago

how it was then
 
 

when we move       when we move again       when we move
 
 

background      always there       like a crowd the world         that has come to see

that have come to see
 
 

why we call them what we call them       what we call them
 
 

and if we went this way       if we go this way       here        this way       if we went

if we go
 
 

close       how close        close       very close

everything at once or very nearly
 
 

and what is taken for granted in all this is of course       in all this

all this       is of course       of course
 
 

do not yield or give way       recede withdraw back down

do not fold or disappear suddenly
 
 

strange       strange intimacy

of it       of what
 
 

what we bring       what we are

what we bring with us       which is what we are
 
 

which in turn
 
 

all that leads up to and away again

here where       here       here where       where
 
 

so that       so that       so that       so that