When You Go There

Thinking about who don’t I know called into question
while knowing in advance that I can’t look in the same mirror twice
tripping over shards of dawn lying around from whenever it was that dawn broke
surely there’s a then I became what I will be or do I mean what I always was
saw it in their faces and got sentimental until the words began to think for themselves
for example I always flirt with the waitress and that’s no excuse
we talk and sometimes we have a good talk though you are allowed to have your memories
you do have to choose which side you’re on having what you need or needing what you have
different shelves who knows and I hope so not to be mistaken for different selves
often wondering if the word hope is a scientific invention
what’s it about doesn’t interest me though I often walk about when I talk to myself
there’s no talking about for the words think for themselves
the known and the unknown clinging to each other becoming self-satisfied
windows do have a reason whether or not we write home while looking out
shards of dawn from when dawn broke whenever among scraps of paper
there’s always a background whether in the background or elsewhere
because you can’t look twice in the same mirror in the same mirror twice
do you hope so or hope not who knows who knows not doesn’t know
what side are you on what matters is the occasion
language being a resource like going to the beach ordinary extraordinary habitual
then it didn’t matter any more because there being no it
what was it you wanted to say what is it you want to say as the saying goes
go back and look again known and unknown on the same shelf
now we need atmosphere the right atmosphere don’t spend the day invest in tomorrow
shards of dawn scraps of paper arriving home with something to write home about
stretch of the imagination indifferent to losing the power to say I
state of affairs the language veil in order to write the mailing address
gracefully on the glowing white envelope on the white glowing envelope gracefully