Anam Cara

THE NIGHT UNDERNEATH

Night carries blame for dream and

The other worlds, you become

Mother opening the door to

Walk inside the colour blue

Where animals wear haloes.

Frescoes that evaporate

Into the grey wall of dawn.

You waken to continue on.

Shake yourself free from the night,

Continue with yesterday’s life.

Under the day’s white surface

All the scripture has withered.

No word, no sound to be heard

In the long wind that reaps dust

From all the harvest of voice.

And the mind behind it all

Has dried up, left nothing but

Its ghost imprint active still

Listening to your footsteps fall,

Their music of red shadows,

Knowing that sooner or later

Some distant light will flicker,

Your blind feet will stumble on

That frail place to send your weight

Through the depth of paper earth.