walking into substrate heavens

new gifts for retired subsidence names
under conquest signing tears guffawing
all across the bay of Armstrong de Price

where tattered shrieks map orchestration
and maths are stated, somehow condensed
but not equated or populated topmast credo
where pearls feel shame and sing and play-act

across dalmatian orchids with medium
format cameras for faucet rains like downy
omni-chords of God, stating in a small voice,
whispering, “try again,” not to be repeated,

and we evacuated the cups of concession
wrongful exercises and deliquescent bypass,
stationed ourselves above the radio’s nest

never to learn how to play the station
behind the static, far in the city, away
from our civilization, away from our proximity
of hope, away from doors slamming against us

bellicose nestling stars falling on factual frames,
on cabinets and horses passing by widows, still,
whys and woes excoriate hot wind, strangers tie in
“Silver Bells” on parched land and venom groceries

a Western Barn Owl’s feet never leaves a question,
remarks on the split occasion for a forest trap, now
this timber song, but they rent the vehicular romance
that we are not to care, not too strongly, not dedicated,

do not make death problematic, do not disagree
upon ice stone hiding depression or wintered thoughts
from neighbor spies hearing in tin stems of fights
in the grocery store milk carton cartoons drawn flight

supplicant ill will suffers one stagnant loss, en mass,
despite abuse of power, nocturnal demands a weakness,
worshiping command cooperation to be under restraint,
present in the daytime to make victorious vails in their vapor