The air is threatening

            with the scent of green


            hunger


                        birdlessness


and worms folding space

between the dancers


The castoff light

is a division                    Stagger across the highway barefoot


fluid out here       so precious

every street is empty                  every TV on


We must not hope


must not hesitate

we must lay ourselves down in the nest of hoary hair


            feathers

what is left but the embrace

isn’t this it         the moment of the outbreak


people dancing in their homes              overripe as vine tomatoes