Island (#2)

You’re right    in life’s chamber music   

either listen with total attention    or else switch off   

Water    one drop can perfectly lock up these shores   

The crash of waves has no gap    is like a tailored body   

still sitting on the rock    the lilac-scented surrounding ocean   

still striking at a little girl’s unceasing gaze into distance   

Purple or white    petals are stored in the eyes   

all through the springtime night, dark rings around the eyes   

keep opening    torn by where she looks far away   

Suffering is that waiting, underwater pearl   

what turns old is salt    low sobbing in every wave   

The fierce wind is a jade bracelet on the wrist   

Island    like a boat sailing since the day you were born   

never slowing down its disconsolate speed   

always arriving yet, underfoot, drawn away by the ebbing tide   

Purple    wounds the turbulent, close-up scene   

sets off white    the horizon like land cutting, above snow line, into fate   

exposing the snow flower you’ve caught for life   

Still wet    tears run halfway down the girl’s cheeks   

After so many years play the cold rain you’ve brought back   

A seagull plunges    then flies back up    You hear clearly this kiss