I SAW MY FACE IN A DREAM THAT WAS NOT A DREAM
I CRIED AND WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK
I HEARD THE MONKEY CREATURE CREEPING OUTSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
THE LEAVES LAUGHING UNDER HIS TOES
HIS LONG BATS WINGS
HIS GLEAMING WHITE FANGS

I AM NOT I
I AM THE IODINE BLACK HOLDING THE MOON
A WHITE CAROUSEL OF SINS
BRE'R RABBIT TUMBLING THROUGH WINTER FIELDS
HIS SILV'RY SKIN AS RIPE AND PEATY AS UNDERGROUND LAYRES

4 BILLION ANCESTORS
LIVED THROUGH THIS BODY
HANDS RAISED IN SURRENDER

THESE 5-FOLD LANGUAGES
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
ULULALIA

I UNDERSTAND NOW
THE ASTRONOMY OF LETTERS
HANGING IN SPACE
FAR-FLUNG VOCABULARIES
GIRDLED BY METEORITES
GLITTERING IN HYPERSPACE
A FLUID MOSAIC
A BIMOLECULAR LEAFLET
CONTAINING THE CELL
THE NUCLEUS OF MEANING

THE TWIN OXEN
YOLKED TO THE WAGON
WHOSE WOODEN WHEELS
BEAT THE DRUM ROAD
PASS LIKE STEAMBOATS IN THE NIGHT

'TIL THE DAWN HARVESTS ARRIVE
THE MORNING'S CHORUS
NATURE'S BOON
THE WORMY SOIL
BURSTING WITH SEED