joshua
walked
through drifts of snow
hugging himself
to keep warm.

a bird
on the telephone
wire
sang a song like
sharp guitars
(he's always wondered
how she can
sing
that long)
watching as he
passes
silent

~ ~

he reached
the streets of town
groups of people
hurrying by
almost ethereal
he thought
so detached from
him

heading on my way
like the rest
i saw him
seeming to be made
of a different
f.abric
than everything else.
joshua.

we walked.

~ ~

we came to
eachother
and i felt that
f.abric
take over
me
as we walked
with no direction.

together for awhile.
a smile
like a virus
came across my face
(coming down with contentment)

~ ~

he had a voice
like winter berries
strong and
smooth and
sweet

saying
he loved the trees
barren limbs like
long inviting fingers
more so
than the house near them
where he lived
a birck and wood
pandora's box
filled with
tempers and
loud noises and
red energy to make you
submissive
in thick ink.

speaking words
made tangible
swirling puffs of steam
then melting into the frozen air.

~ ~

joshua
walked
through drifts of snow
hugging himself
to keep warm

with me to keep him
company.

the shops gave way
to
fields of blinding snow

he said
"call me david"
with a smile
and though his story
had been a
remedy
for my virus

i had a relapse.

~ ~

one tree
solitary in a field
mottled greygreen limbs
we stopped
and looked
as if it were something
sacred
a yogi
promising us its
secrets.

we looked up at it.

it smiled.

~ ~ ~ ~

joshua
walked
through drifts of snow
hugging himself
to keep warm.

light blue sky
made the snow-covered fields
look like
just another cloud
floating.

~ ~

and he stopped
on the crowd of
ethereal people
and spied me
because i was of his
f.abric
now.

his journies were mine
i thought
and so we joined again
and walked towards
the countryside.

~ ~

ended up at the
tree
again
mottled greygreen
or maybe it drew us
to it
i'll never know

silence.
one big silence
where no one
but the earth
making the snow
one
with itself
could speak

but then joshua
(david)
climbed into the tree
letting it
envelope him
and take him to
the top of the sky.

anyone else
and it would have been

sacrelige.

~~

joshua
stood
in snowpiles on the branches
not caring
whether or not he was
warm
anymore.

i knew
there was something
special
because the falling snow fell
in
just a little

he shouted down
"how
can you
sing
so long?"

and then for a minute
he flew

like a bird.