The Science Behind the Art of Preservation

Cutting across the grass
…through the park,
she leaned over
 pausing in a Pisa-stance
 just to ask,
“When does it all begin?”

I take in the world behind her,
and before her,
and pat the spot on the grass near me,
nearby:
‘It’s been going on all along,
and will keep
 on going on.

Come and sit,
 take it in,
 take in all of it.

The clouds can’t be pursued–
 they can’t be caught
so sit here by me.

Let’s sit together,
 and let’s let
the dogs go into the night
 to chase for other game:
the game keeps
running, but barely
…ahead of
 their own scent.

Yes, sit here with me,
we’ll gather up these pictures
….for the heart
then tumbling from our arms
we’ll carry them back
to our memory vaults.

And then
on the day
when the wolves
 are at the door
to feast on our souls and
we’re feeling butchered, cured, ready
  to be parceled out,
then we will pull them out
and
the fragrance of the living blossoms
will not only fill our hearts,
  it will take over the world.