Signs

Consider the bird.
Consider the dreamer who witnesses a bird flinging
into a church, the windows yawned open.
Consider whose death will follow.


Consider the flinging.


Consider the time between sign and dying, time nothing
to do with teh bird or the witness or the waiting.
Consider their congregation.
Consider the sermon near middle when the bird comes


Consider the bound ceiling, and the jerking bird zig-zagging about.


Consider that the death would be sudden.
Consider the old.
The funeral-tired, the hymn-weary, arm-weak.


Considering flinging.


Consider, congregation.
The hovering flutters stuck.
A promise.


Each, every proof.

(c) Forest Hamer, Middle Ear

Middle Ear

Say the moment crossing over isn't heard
Say the hammer-anvil-stirrup don't unfurl
Say the balance was upset

Say this balance was upset
Say the outside world doesn't ring

Say the mind's ear listening to an odd man singing
Say the moment crossing over starting somewhere out and in
Say the balance was upset

Say this balance was upset, and the singing falls faint
Say you turn yourself away from crowds of sound

Say the awed man singing sings to you

Say you don't know him. You don't.

And the balance is upset

Say the inside singing and the outside ringing and
the moment crossing over breathing in
Say the whisper of the man sieves through
Say the moment crossing over is a stranger wisp

And the balance is upset
And the balance is upset

Say the moment crossing over rights the left
Say the moment crossing over is the ringing ear writing
Say the moment crossing over ends hear

(c) Forest Hamer, Middle Ear