when I finally woke
after the earth stopped shaking
I found my bloodied tongue
languoring in a deep pocket
that listless secret place
I'd been covertly making
if I could capture you
write all of your essence
into one terse line
perhaps this misshapen world
would have some pretense
if you were just one verse
perhaps life wouldn't be so tense
if only I could speak
the sound of my words
might make some sense
but you are too deep
deeper than any bottomless well
deeper than abysmal ocean shelves
deeper than any intense dream
as deep as love and life itself

                 * * *