rain, the great tranquilizer

spreading my skin’s surface to the ceiling:

a parachute outstretched,
an umbrella unwound,
the wingspan of a crane

while the first autumn rain blesses

all that’s grounded,
all that’s good,
all that’s rooted and sure

the pouring is long,
the barometric pressure is low,
the season will be relentless,
the clouds in constant upset

but inside, sewn into sheets, it is calm

i want to sift like silk into this silence

not the tight lips of a mouth,
or the frequency of the blinded tv

but the sound the world makes when it’s doing
what it does

i want that in a bottle, and i want to drink it
down

and if it shall be poison,
i only ask that someone comforts me

be the nurse by my side,
hold my wrist,
give me your eyes,
and say nothing

be mute,
be still with me

just as the pavement accepts its beating
just as the droplets resist the sky,
in descension of the peace
buried in the mud