Heliopause by Heather Christle Page A

expect praise for the beautiful apology
    â–´
    to imagine something other than again
    â–´
    Whether it is falling
    from a ship
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â or plane or a building
    the human body starts its drop
    at roughly one rate
    â–´
    The book said legally
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â thought the captain
    of the slave ship Zong
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â to throw the people overboard
    instead of letting them starve
    would ensure compensation
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â for his loss
    â–´
    And another has made
    the words to decay
    until what remains
    is
    Â Â Â  loss   loss
    â–´
    When I go to the video
    it is paused close to darkness
    the place
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â where I had last stopped
    and as I drag the cursor backward
    so it can start again
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I’m reversing
    into morning what was night
    â–´
    The three buildings in the corner
    begin a hypotenuse
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â the dark clouds
    â€”diligent—complete
    â–´
    The subsection of sympathy cards
    labeled words fail me
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â on which we pen
    sorry for your loss
    â–´
    The lights that come on last—
    what were they resisting?
    Or do they not notice
    as sometimes can happen
    while the hours carry in
    the new-fallen dark
    â–´
    They say we have fallen
    a long way
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â to the cold
    and planetary light
    â–´
    They say the bomb is a flower
    â–´
    A body falls much faster
    than the night
    â–´
    You will forgive me won’t you
    for the lines
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I’m copying in
    I do not want to be alone here
    despite what I have said
    â–´
    And I have forgotten
    to mention the music
    though it has this whole time
    been mentioning me
    I will say it is the sound of a clock
    which has had all of its hours removed
    â–´
    The screen is dark enough now
    that it can perfectly reflect
    the facing window
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â a corner of morning
    â–´
    And some of the lights
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â they tremble
    trying to decide
    Â Â Â Â whether they can go on
    â–´
    Lights like pronouns for the buildings
    â–´
    to remove to go through to withdraw
    to slowly walk into another room
    â–´
    What is legally an hour?
    The time it takes the king
    to fall asleep
    the melting
    of a candle in the snow
    â–´
    Hour like a jar in Tennessee
    â–´
    And yes I am afraid
    to be with minutes
    They have completely confused me
    â–´
    The buildings are a sort
    of interference
    Â Â Â how they stand
    and complicate the sky
    but nothing interferes
    with the hour
    Â Â Â it is
    as they say
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â a law
    unto itself
    â–´
    Maybe I should say that
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  I am sitting
    in a room
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  different from
    the one you are in now
    and I am sitting at a distance
    from the screen
    Â Â Â Â so that the hour
    goes on
    Â Â Â Â Â Â and there is nothing
    that I can undo
    â–´
    Every morning the diminishing returns
    â–´
    And now the smoke echoes the roundness
    of the one building with a dome
    the smoke in love and unable
    to do anything more than repeat
    the words of another
    so after I would sooner be dead
    than let you touch me
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â it cries hopeless
    touch me
    touch me
    and then even that sound
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â that shape
    drifts away
    â–´
    If I could get closer I could see
    the river
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â reflecting back
    the buildings’ light
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â but I am placed