monster of light

the drunken men haul in home in on something they found
a dark alley—a storm of leaves—a bell
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,for a light
to shine upon it they sing low as they go
drag it behind
nor even feel or know or sight

it suck the long red shadows
from their backs
reach for home with nothing
..................a line that stretches away
..................into the cracks

their song used up
dusted in sleep
dawn kiss them goodnight
the world's last soft kindness
mulched in the deep

through the curtains
on the face of a sleeping child
the ticking stops light
floods in
drowns it all

.......................traces of a man
in the tidemark light
still flickers still
a book still open
where it fell

to some same page years later where now nothing

nor the softest knell

.