Margaret's Question to the Elevator as Much as to the Man

the whole point of this is what she asked

of him      not who he thought he was      but what

whatever      his accomplishment could do

— and here’s the finer   point —   for whom—?

and if I follow that      up and down

the stories      I come to the landing

where she asks      even the elevator itself   anew but

inveterate      climber what it thinks it’s all about —

this getting   — nowhere up than down —   then out —

on the street leveled again      enough to look up. —   What

into balance     does that un-staggering

moment bring     fetch down?

                                                    We always did think up

there held treasures   like how to —

raise more   land out of what we had.   — but what

about us        what does up

there have to say to lift us?

up      if it’s into whiteness black ain’t      all that

interested.      all that      already got

it’s own god bless.      this chile know where it’s at.

all it’s asking is      what is it next      what

is his own up      to?

his own     could be we know how to      get down

deep and dirty into it      fuck it      through

the wall’s off the     see how deep is    down

existentially or       up out of  aspiration presupposedly

we blow into what we have taken in

and take over      the party

change affiliation to up      to somethin’

surreptitious as always have   had to

under to get over        over what we wanted

it to be. done. really over          the up to

now fulfilled.   the bloody running done its vaunted lip.