courting breaths   after blue i brighten
       i lighten   with originless humour
and then ugliness anew                          
   i tighten   into some packed pearl of monster
breathe in   breathe out   courting breaths
the susurration    of all this lung
resuscitation    and it's 'good morning mourning'

then 'bring out the empathy' !  and zitty connections
and marvel over   'those poor things'          
larval in their struggles   up the redline
and envision throwing them heaps               
of hairdryers  salad spinners  monopoly boards
            vibrating cushions  for back massage
and obscure tinned delicacies  from my extensive travels
the five devils of my mind  tackle my erratic breath
five mad ideas  of how to run their lives
                        milk their hive
form a worship  and go to war..

..then it is i who goes larval                  
                          carving in on my minuscule heart
crutching in like a fractured pill bug
not daring to raise my eyes      
             for fear of offending my superiors
breathe in   breathe out
counting down the breaths til rattle

Stay with me for a short time,
Just for a couple of words,
Just for a couple of smilings,
For a couple of easy nods.

Stay with me for a couple of strophes.
I’ll pour two glasses of wine.
The one that, remember, used to prepossess
You and me both for a while.

Stay with me for a short time
For a couple of sportive jests,
For a couple of bootless guitar accords,
For a couple of stupid shy footsteps.

For a couple of silver-tongued tender breathings,
For a couple of sweet and tremulous words.
Stay with me, please, for a short time,
At least for a couple of epochs.