Look we haven’t come through: the boat
took us back home, of course, how silly not
to realise these truths: only here, only now
this misty island marred first by glaciers then people
why didn’t we realise we’re free of gods but not trouble
no one left to save us but our selves, each soul
bargaining in vain not to be taken home, Ukanian Ingerlund
where the longest dead control the language & the mind
why didn’t we realise we’d be wading thru this brutish mud?
So then, it’s time as always, to start again
another poem, another struggle: like the old sun
reborn but wavering and knowing it’ll end up diving down
what can we do but pull ourselves up on the beach of dark surf
don’t you recall this now? oh you were born here if memory serves
& if not, each site, each sacred site, is really just the same
don’t trust this but try it – test out & discover what
that works upon you & casts you up on this abandoned side
where the water runs out then back, leaving you heavy and almost dead
1 The Opening of the Blue Book: at last the epigraphs are written in