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The World Dream
In the dream of the whole world
She notes
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa pair of red-tailed hawks
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa wedding of white deer
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýan uproar of ravens
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa terror of coyotes
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa pile of wives
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa slumber of cellos
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýan apotheosis of poets
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa maverick of boys
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa hippo of fresh baked macaroons
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýbeside a tiger mug
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýsteaming with peppermint tea
In the dream of the whole world
She hears
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa cacophony of jellyfish
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe whirr of worried children
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe giggle of crickets
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe hoot of a tugboat
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe late cry of a lighthouse
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýbellowing in the fog
In the dream of the whole world
She finds
ÌýÌýÌýÌýthe cracked stone of a Mayan calendar
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe dark cave of all beginnings
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýworms working their way up
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýinto the wet lightÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýafter a storm
In the dream of the whole world
She realizes
ÌýÌýÌýÌýnothing ends, nothing can
the lake freezes and melts
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýrain falls on Honey Island
the salt marsh becomes mangrove
ÌýÌýÌýÌýthe red branch becomes pelican roost
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýthe bird egg becomes alligator food
ÌýÌýÌýÌýWhat lives in her heart
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýflows from her eyes
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýpuddles at her feet
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýsoaks into the ground
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýis sucked up by the root of a fruit tree
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýwhere everything once born is reborn
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýlike the secret inside the pit of a peach
In the dream of the whole world
She witnesses
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa cargo of slaves
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa camp of Jews
a factory of incest
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa murder of lies
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýan asylum for lovers
a colony of hunger
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa nation of bullies
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa parade of lepers
an oil slick of dead salmon
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa string of exiles
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýa case of rebels
ÌýÌýÌýÌýa box of torture
the shadow of power
ÌýÌýÌýÌýmoving its armies across the land
In the dream between these dreams
She awakens
ÌýÌýÌýÌýto the heart’s difficult longings:
ÌýÌýÌýÌýthe peace protest
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýmakes war with war—
ÌýÌýÌýÌýthose speaking against againstness
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýare still not free—
We are form informed by family
ÌýÌýÌýÌýembodied beings, skin bags of light
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýanimate, restless, hungry, searching
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýheld by the formless possibility beyond diety
and without thinking we may be caught counting
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýwhat is at long last uncountable—
ÌýÌýÌýÌýthe depth of human love
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýincalculable in the turning universe
poem by Ann Filemyr
If you would like to hear Ann read her poem please
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