not a splash of sound
not a glimmer, not a glimpse
no near-to-far, nor far-to-near
and yet
the wind whips the ancient pines
and combs the tall grass, down by the bay
as brash-faced gulls wheel over the dunes
heaped leeward and crowding the shore
where lovers lace hands, walking
bumping hips and laughing
through sun-creased lips, whispering 
forever now, forever now!
as they tumble down the wishing wells
of twin stars, darkly dreaming
and their footprints, commingling 
disappear…

yet nothing is seen
and nothing is heard
beyond the callous Word
that shields Mystery like a rock
like steel footings
like pinball pegs
for centuries standing, upholding
the common law
whopping all transgressors past the flippers
as Mind, a ricochet glancing
off the absolute unknown
a cue-ball, smacked
into deep corner pockets of certified meanings, worn
into deep neural grooves of prediction, worn 
into deep, blood-red felt, torn, 
for hope
and all the ill-fated dreaming
of happiness, here…

and mind, now rescued from
the full-tilt of freedom
is so glad to be home!
so loathe to brave the breakers
and the burly reefs of Life
which are too much! too much!
and too completely gone, beyond
this tense and prickly skin
we are whooshed unruly into creation
as nature breaches the vacuum
like a sperm whale breaches the surface
of all recorded time
riding every nuanced impulse with ease
oil-slicked and mirroring 
all the colors of sun…

thar she blows and up she rises! 
for the glory of breath
and this sweet morning light 
as lovers tangle
in a foment of desire
as the cue-ball cracks
on the shimmering sands of Love
in this great escape
and this eternal marriage 
of beginnings and endings
of dewy dawns to dusks
of hearts born to love
and to break like death, ever sliding
like white-capped waves, to their certain demise
beyond a dancing rim of fire…