there was a man
who swore
to be searching
for a god

he searched the sky
and found only clouds
and stars
and the sun
moving
further and closer
until his eyes
became
scarred glass

he searched the sea
counted over a billion waves
or one
that kept forming
on the same shore
and felt the fish
slip through his fingers
like the water they breathed
salty
on his tongue

he searched the forests
and read the letters
the bareness of winter
and the green of summer
wrote to the clouds
before every storm
and felt the fur
warm his fingers
like the gold
falling from the shadows
he swept away

he searched the desert
for the elusive
and found water
in the blue expanse
staining the horizon
(the sky must be a part
of the desert
if it's above it)
and felt the hiss
of time racing
pierce into the place between his thumb
and his hand

he searched the rivers
of every continent
diving deep
walking through
the sapphire
the grey
the brown
collecting water lilies
that smelled like the sea
in spring
and whispered secrets
like the wind

he searched the roads
and found the cities
connected by the smooth
tar
by crouching
and running his hand along it
writing messages
in the dust
and the snow
and the sunlight
for every blind man
to 'see'

he searched the cities
and found people
with staring eyes
blank eyes
cold eyes
empty eyes
eyes filling
with tears
or happiness
that looked up
or down
(never in front
or behind)
wearing colours
underneath the boxes
they were in
and in the end
he searched the libraries
for books
but found words
instead