by morning, summer
teased us into greater belief
at noon's clack
we sacraficed the corn king
and soon forgot his pain
afternoon we prolonged
despite evidence to the contrary of shadows
while autumn lay in ambush
behind every branch and stone
the bulletin of the loss
of the sacred gave pause
after it initially arrived
equivalences and compromise
we carried the mass cards in our wallets
and felt gratified we'd understood
just what had happened
and how what happened effected
the present or what was left to come.

[]

1999