CASPER
THE FRIENDLY GHOST
The sunlight was 24 karat and a soft
breeze was cuffing the pines on their chins.
Adamine and I were standing by the water,
so close, I was afraid
of falling in.
She said, "In our rather pleasant time together
I have found you to be brilliant
without all the fuss of brilliance
or anything in the least pawnable as interest."
Such discernment can be ungluing.
I said, ''You can't imagine the wings—"
"But I can," she says, ''You keep them folded
in a shoebox, wrapped in twine
and then silk you personally pull from the worms.
In the end it looks like this—"
She handed me a smooth, oval stone.
It shook and was unbreakable.
She handed me another
and another. Soon she was out
of earshot, then she was a glint
in a vast landscape.
Against this background I prop what I remember:
she had ten fingers, at least one sloped shoulder,
a curve down the nose, mouth, neck,
to the collarbone which I can only describe
with my finger and, I believe,
two eyes—but don't hold me to them.
Something similar to a long time
is passing. This land is very remote,
but the water tastes fine and I have even found
a piece of air that resembles her mouth,
through which I can see a continent of turning
away. The views alone would break you.
breeze was cuffing the pines on their chins.
Adamine and I were standing by the water,
so close, I was afraid
of falling in.
She said, "In our rather pleasant time together
I have found you to be brilliant
without all the fuss of brilliance
or anything in the least pawnable as interest."
Such discernment can be ungluing.
I said, ''You can't imagine the wings—"
"But I can," she says, ''You keep them folded
in a shoebox, wrapped in twine
and then silk you personally pull from the worms.
In the end it looks like this—"
She handed me a smooth, oval stone.
It shook and was unbreakable.
She handed me another
and another. Soon she was out
of earshot, then she was a glint
in a vast landscape.
Against this background I prop what I remember:
she had ten fingers, at least one sloped shoulder,
a curve down the nose, mouth, neck,
to the collarbone which I can only describe
with my finger and, I believe,
two eyes—but don't hold me to them.
Something similar to a long time
is passing. This land is very remote,
but the water tastes fine and I have even found
a piece of air that resembles her mouth,
through which I can see a continent of turning
away. The views alone would break you.