​​1.

​Reaching my longing arms
up to the skylight,
​& (through the roof
of all my day's doings,
my it-things &
​my can't-wait-till-later-things)
finding the lacy edges
​of my dream's petticoats,
I pull them over my head.

My lungs open

my mind through my throat.
​My hair longs loosely backwards,
​seeking out from behind
my ears;
​halfly-spreading
in the thickening air
that drags me sleepilingly
away.

Eyes shut, I slip

​through one of the thousands
​of open star-holes in the sky
that let the sun in
at night,
and sigh promise-whispers
to the wind-ears
​listening from faraway
galaxies to all the night noises -
​including me.

​My legs stretch out,

invading
sleeping cat territory
at the bottom of the bed and reaching
​'till my feet gasp
the cooler outside air
and my toes
curl in
(to) the wonderland sleepsand
​dusting up like moonclouds
​from astronauts' leaping fly-walks
​around my planet bed.

​2. ...
​

The last time I had to say goodbye
​it lasted long after the word;
just as the real sunset comes after
​the sun drops away.

For me anyway.

Then the Van Gogh's and the cloud-
​shinings and the pink shell-light,
​'The gloaming', they call it.
The day's closing.

​For me anyway.

1.
​
​I am one.

Not many, not everything
​to everyone.
​Not the apostle Paul.
Not all things to all men.

​Not Jack's master &
his mistress at once.

Not all, all at once, but
​once only, only one.

​2.

I am one.

Not less, but complete.
​Not doubly good.
No rerun requests or
​failures, no duplicate errors!

​All my weaknesses are
​Limited Editions, licensed to me
for one lifetime.

3.

My past is mine forever.
What I was & what I am, is.
What I will & could be, is not
​& may never be:
Hooray!

I love my yesterdays
with the joy of today's
​freedom - I have no tomorrows &
​am grateful that I am
one.

​from 'My Planet' in I sleep, I dream

"He always does that,"
​Your uncle said it as though your walking
was a live, wriggling thing
that he disliked.

You walked a lot.
​Pacing like a bad actor
or a postman:
too quickly;

(the mixture of determination and fidgeting
​giving you epileptic rhythm)

foaming your theories
​at the mouth &
​biting (me) with your insanity.
You never could sit still.

​When C. asked me if I would marry you
​I felt exhausted (& had to sit down).
​

I will take this
warming
with the fresh air
tickling the blinking,
​watery-eyed sea;

​hard-worked hands
waving;
unknown (any)bodies
​dancing
at me
while I wait.

I will take what is in me:

All the air-thoughts that
touch me
​and the land-voices
greeting my
​foot-souls searching
for sand.

​(I know my name here!)

​where the grass-needles
stab me
​and the grass fleas
bite me
​in the beating
white sun

heating my hands and knees.

​I kneel, sit.  Lying,
as the wet grass
dries
and plays
​noughts & crosses
on my skin.

The day-star shines
on my adoring face,
blindingly,
through the tree leaves
wriggling
against the wind-still
blue.

​-

I will take all this with me:

​All Her earth-gifts
coming
​to me from the
sharp-cut surface of
our
​diamond-heart(ed)

​Africa.
​