if we insist on this idea of a force-
field a stasis an empire inside
the navel and waterfall trapped
within walls which keep bridges
spires a starfish what good is a pin-
prick what is science? a snow-
globe teeters anticipates wobble
somewhere a child weeps and no-
body hears this distress he hides
inside the cabinet a fragment
a breath discovers this act
and out comes artifice arti-
fact the air inspecting the mess
stirs itself into the animated cut
to the next scene a bare foot
close-up shard being extracted a-
side profile shot half of a sole
blood trickle quickly camera pans
to the table so abandonment is up-
played nothing on the mantle but
crust could be spotted prune
parse syllabicate all the world's re-
enacment we are playing catch
we couldn't grasp the silence
the siren drifts away yet again
and again that saturated could-
n't be saved couldn't be saved
Grandmother Mother curtain call
