The Italics Are Mine!

There was breathing but there were no bodies
Anywhere to be found & so we switched ourselves
Down a couple of notches and we barely moved
And we really listened and this time we really
Listened in case we could catch a glimpse or
Get an inkling or see something around the edges,
We stayed tamped and dampened and tuned which was
Fine which was what was needed to remind us
How silent a submarine can be & how slowly one
Can remove a glove if one wants to remove a glove
Very slowly one finger at a time almost reluc-
Tantly, so we waited better than we'd
Ever waited before or since & then some meteors
Started leaving long broad gauze trails in their wakes
In every direction we turned to look
Much of the breathing we'd half-dreaded had materialized,
Gasps, audible awes, little sighs, pink squeals,
Now and then crashingly thunderous rounds
Of applause almost, shocking, and it was.

Copyright © 2006 Dara Wier All rights reserved
from Remnants of Hannah
Wave Books
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission