For Paul Baumann
What I meant to say all this
time was/what I mean to say
is: Thank you - hardly seems enough
these words are not biting
this covenant from abroad
snows according to gospel writ-
ing is too much folksy and not
enough sentry of cardiac startled
by vocation for all that you worked
my derelictions of duty missiles
absconding at length lynching but in fear
for too long tears stoppered
tremble of soul anxious to be told
again learning, with you implicating self
living to deserve, by error, reserve
of listed forms, mined Latinate origins, and concrete
denotation in dictionary or thesaurus demolish
censored pain I mean does not own me
intoxicates any further with notions
sniffle of speed, sip to scotch
curl up tendrils, clutch of comb
grooming in stable farmhand
just as well brother, mother, personhood vacates
careless in lieu of epiphany
within view of permanent night
plastic porpoise/lucid with faculty on first date
ruing lover and love songs to come-
