the clothing of castaways

  slippers of sealskin
shirts and trousers made from sails
on the radio and in a lecture
wonderful that the relics survived at all

  the empty proof of collapse and beaches
how we find ourselves full of sand
trickling
the ocean roaring care gone
and away above our heads the sky
  refusing to fall

I lived wrapped around a rock

  was a note thrown through a window


read untied surrounded with shimmers
neighbours imagining with peers
spastic curtains hint they spy


flattened out the creases catch light
under scrutiny where this grows
how many eyes and meanings there are


what weight have you held there?


where could we be tossed?


what preparations exist for undone?
learning that cracks eventually stay
sip your wine in the throng
another bite of finger food samosa
or nibble of tiny sandwich


on these chairs at the edge of the ballroom


where everything could almost be mended


time lapse photography

  standing beside me
then gone

  you stop the camera
they leave
then you roll again

  trying to trick sense home
falling into the space remaining

  a well where wishes were
  talking to your empty side of the bed
inventing answers
impossible in your voice

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