Wally

 

I looked for him
blind in my left eye
and in my right eye
Wally masking his heartbeat
soft on the stone in his summer socks
wafting in warm light from a fire I could
   not find
Wally in waist hosiery laughing
ghosts among the vaults wailing too
climbing architecture
former house of God
of bat of bone
Wally in and among the dozen lost souls
a man at home
my fingers following
   where blind mice lead them
surfing along the slick rock girders
I hiccup

and the sound that left rose upward
climbing architecture
angels with faded fangs faded back
old hawks leapt into empty abyss
still, rose my throat's chuckle
Wally gazed on
Wally in his gifted two-step hard to catch
hard tonight
watched my breath burst through the rafters
reach starlight
and midnight's magic

was gone

Wally in glazed focus teary now said,
"see again,
   let there be light"

and there was light.

TA