it begins
like this

and ends
like this

and continues

.

in the
beginning
it was

done on
a blank
page—

white
on
white

on the
day of
creation

.

hear
here

is a bird
in the
window

is a bee
a flower

a garden
in the
mind

.

dilute the
potion

pour in
water
with the
hemlock

open the
windows

look for
patterns
in this
dream

.

a new
dimension?
shaped
words,
canvases
of space

.

song
bird

word
word

heard
third

.

we are
running
we are
mad

stars
point out
the way

we are
naked

we are
free

there are
flowers on
the path

.

I was
told

I was
shown

it was
pointed out—

the narrow path
the word's wisdom

.

so
intricate

so
complex

so amazing

dead
leaves

on the
sidewalk

a dog
barking

a man
scratching

.

what's out
side is
within

is there
emptiness
without
awareness?

.

word

wise
will

word

weed
worm

word

were
wood

word

weld
wink

word

wild
wing

word

wall
war

.

construct
something
out of
clay
dirt

obscene
words
in the
wash
room
stall

VietnamVietnamVietnamVietnam
ietnamVietnamVietnamVietnamV
etnamVietnamVietnamVietnamVi
tnamVietnamVietnamVietnamVie
namVietnamVietnamVietnamViet
amVietnamVietnamVietnamVietn
mVietnamVietnamVietnamVietna

no time
no place
no mind
for it—

a dark
sentence,
a joke on
the wall

.

island
city

one can
loose

oneself
in any

pattern
any tree

star
cloud

mountain
field

.

a problem today
is to put down
the black-white
marble of mind

draw a circle
take your shot
feed daffodils
to crocodiles

.

there
is a
cemetery

in the
heart
tombstoned

we look
for it
the door

that
opens
onto

gardens
and
graveyards

.

there
are stars
in the
branches
of the
trees

all the
windows
of the

moon
open and
close

.

the count
and how
to count
the count

.

how is it
sir?

how
is it?

it is
how
it is

is
how
it
is

down
that
road

soften
it up

how
it
sir

.

Spring
do not

mistake
me for

a flower
or a tree

Death
knows

there's
music

in the
air