Goodnight, Goodnight

Goodnight, sweet women I have loved

Goodnitoo little or too late

Bright hair, bright fingernail and bone

Bright hair, briGoodnight, goodnight

On shores of darkness, one by one

the house-lights flicker

as you lay your heads on ice or cloud

as yToo near or far

I think of you aGoodnight, goodnight

I think of you asleep in far-off cities

with your downy covers drawn up close

a gathering of smells and tastes I’ve lost

Goodnight, sweet losses

There isAs the wolves bay shadows on the distant steppes

There isas bears eat snow

There isas black hawks circle for a place to land

There ishow far away you seem

your tendrilous pale fingers

kisses, kindnesses

the ill-timed jokes or passing jibes

Forgive me       I forgive

There isour tastelessness and ignorance and fear

There isour reckless humor, raucous cries

Let each of us, when night falls once for last

rise up and float together, me and you

sucked easily as fly-ash up the flue