by J. P. Gallagher © 2000

in the distance
peeking over the horizon
far off mountains stand and stare back at me
they defy the curve of the earth
whisper from behind me
and all around me
secrets of the surface
secrets of the center
and only the honesty of the open sky
persists
the choices and charms
speak silently of
fantasies and flesh itself
both are calling
from beyond the mountains
from within my mind
for without the
voices and the visions
we are empty
we are void
and the foreign mountains
and the familiar fantasies
will fool us
or frighten us
or find us fallen
broken
dreaming helplessly
of the past
3/29/00