4351. WE WERE SAILING ALONG

WE WERE SAILING ALONG

To rid this narrow world of all that's in it - some

gambler's theft, some trick of trompe d'oeil, whatever

you say it is. It's all and it's real. ON MOONLIGHT

BAY. I never had the fever that comes with the

pox, but I could roll over, endlessly sick and feeling

bad. Simple as all that, I can be. YOU CAN HEAR

THE VOICES RINGING. Now, this ringing moonlight

stays behind; I watch the lunar calendar, if only to

see what I can recall of what went before this time.

Full moon from half moon, blazing to life. THEY

SEEM TO SAY. Light me up another one of

those blazing Winter-side fires so I can sit by

the flame and watch shadows. The bricks throw

off a smoldering heat. YOU HAVE STOLEN

MY HEART, NOW DON'T GO AWAY. The two

blind kittens the janitor brought in from the cold,

now he says they're not blind, just too young

yet to see. JUST AS WE SANG LOVE'S OLD

SWEET SONGS. I finally did think I understood.

ON MOONLIGHT BAY (on Moonlight Bay).