We cannot have infinity, she said,
for this will violate physical integrity.
“But without infinity there is death.
How shall we prevent sorrow and death?”
We cannot prevent death. We must die and live again.
“Dying is too painful. Living again makes a mockery of life
because to live requires dying.”
You speak the truth. But to have understanding
and joy—which physical, mortal bodies bring—
we must consider everything
which mitigates the terrible sorrow
which closes in,
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
Can you feel it? The gravity of obedience slowly
—since the universe is so large—
presses down with pleasure!
The shaman feels it pressing down—
some religious zealots know the pleasure
of the pressure, the insane pleasure
of the universe pressing down. Down!
Narcissist. You will not drown.
There is no pool or lake that participates
in seeing but it will lean down
and down, leaning down, it will go
to the melancholy madness of Baudelaire and Poe.
Will you go? I know you know.
Let us hurry. Almost there. The sun
has poured its fire here. Too late, you know…
You ate the fire. All your memories…
Quickly! Impressions fail. I fall.
Leave me here. I’ll see you.
This isn’t all.