Distraction

We want to read and sing at the same time
We want to say no place lacks bacteria and be sure
We can want to believe time
was altered by our presence that martinis
and opium harbor gods
We do not want to hear “returned to normal”
Normal contained us
We want that edge with an exit
We want to say rhyme or reason as if
that meant a consequence
connected with another world as fallback
We want to remember
in the beginning distances were so vast
nothing had voices but needed translation
and began poetry where we stepped in to listen
and notice repeatedly stars
were a belt and sword and contained a galaxy
We were just getting comfortable
when the signer misspelled sygyzy
but who could blame her
what with everyone staring at the stars
rubbing dangerously together on her dress