some abstraction for me
to sit on, some substance to subtract
or some subtraction to sustain
some piece of this, apparently missing, that floats
in and out and you are taken by the hand
and led here – are you not?
are you not?
are you not listening?
are you not able to distract or are you not in fact
distracted, did you not intend
to delay, to distend, did you not
relay the abstention, the relentless inference
which does not deter, which does not defend
this instance?
this incantation
did you not send this performance in my direction, this listlessness
this shiftless distance
this infatuation?
you did not
you did not contend
(to sleep, perchance)
you are not culpable
(to dream)
you may not
otherwise
you may not defend
…
we all fall down
