Falling through space, and powerless, I cry
to him—but I am lying on my bed,
alone, heart pounding, as the words he said
before he left reverberate kalei-
doscopically, engulfing me, a ri-
ot of emotions like explosions—red
and blinding white. The chaos in my head
is threatening to drown me unless I
can force myself, in agony, to the shore:
storm-ravaged, desolate, but calm.... The gloom
descends, the howling voices now no more
than echoes; fiery shadows fill the room
and swirl like mist around me. Close the door.
Do not disturb the silence of this tomb.
December 12, 1989