silent sweep the lights of our reflections
on the bruised blue river, morning
river, stranger river cut
by doppler sorrow and iron fear
stranger in my sheets, neighbor
river- oh, your body
is my country. expatriated i speak
the language with my thumb pressed
into your palm when the white noise
night noise is too crowded
with urban business. confess!
wordless, i kneel at the altar again, tourist
of holy temples and leave my gifts of bone and blood.