Elegy On Toy Piano

Alarm Clock

Alarm Clock I felt like a raven going on revelation alone. Deep forest I was in deep forest chased. In my mouth-hole an alarm clock. I couldn’t stand the ticking. The earliest I ever set one was 3 for an airplane, 4 for a pill, 5 to write fast without thinking but generally I do without. Orpheus, in disgust, threw his alarm clock into the river where it went on ringing. Time is honey so the clock buzzes. Naked beside me! Naked beside me! Da Vinci’s sketch of an alarm clock— still not fully understood. Voice command. Croak coax. The wind blows the curtains making it easier for ghosts to appear. Clank of the lightning factory, clank of the leopard’s leash. There is no pleasure like leaving before dawn in last night’s clothes. Light snow or thick dew in the grass— no one’s passed this way before. The note you left needed only a few words, no explanation where lies could creep in. Your eyes, blinked clear, won’t squint or glance off, it’s the stars that turn their faces away. He or she is or is not the one you love and you cannot stay. The dark turns to mist and the mist cannot stay but for once there’s no need for alarm. You’re getting a good head start. Maybe the world isn’t made of dust. Maybe you won’t make another mistake. You’re as young as you’ll ever be. 38 ...