Hold Me

My lips were purple and the stars lay on the carpet with meteors of dust

My thoughts were tricklin’ so fast

I’d just embarked on a barge with a bottom of glass

Can you see?

Can you see what’s moving me?

Or are my words just the bones of fish that will not feed?

Head to head’s not meat to meat

Mother, hold me

Hold me, baby

Earthen arms will bury

The light that bounces ‘tween the fans that blow it

Like a ball we can’t see but feel coming

This comet will split the ground and reach the pit, the seed

If we’re so lucky

Could we be?

Could we be?

Or is this prospect too frightening?

Hang a string, it’ll serve as a line

For this dripping, sopping thing

What will holding bring?

I will go home before the moon grows a crust

I will go home before these clams close up

What was moving is dead in a net

And my eyes are on the carpet

I don’t need real stars when I’ve a universe of discards

And a heart that’s far enough

From this mouth of wine

The barge is falling behind

This moon has an itchy rind

The well is wet, but each crater is blind

Dry’s my skin and drowned’s my mind

Grab an oar, catch a meteor

Then hold me

Hold me, sleep

Dharamsala, India 2008