WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

We’ve always been where we are,
we have no memories of escape,
climbing the steps with our collapsed maps,
operating instructions dangling from our necks.
Tide of ions, never let us go.

We sow roses into wounds.
We know where the batteries are.
With horses and houses we can be trusted
and we know all about upside-down clouds.
We’ve seen the valley once
which is more than a thousand times.

Three o’clock, already dark.

I’m not sure what I’m doing.
The procedure goes up in smoke.
Detailed masques of solidity,
percussion of raindrops to general effect.
Hello nice echo,
your flashlight couldn’t be in a better place.

Hard to find the right glue.

You pull off the ribbons and that’s how
you can tell it’s a gift.
Never never never give it back.
Are you with me? Forever?
It’s okay if you’re not

on the other shore of whiplash merchandise
or the other shore of peeled particular
or the other shore birth estuary
or the other shore moon hammer gull circle.

Spilled out in the gull circle.
Beautiful face in the gull circle.
We’re going to lift you now.
We’re going to carry you away.