we are forever sweeping / and
the things we sweep out of the
front door / blow in again at
the back / directly. We know
but always forget the way we
have enclosed improved and
drained / everything / so that
everything is chaff / around
our ears. We were great
winnowers / and always
looking forward but / not far
enough forward to see this and
we / are abandoning the fields
or they are abandoning us
because / when we saw the sea
flow over the fields / we had
spades and faith and clever
Dutchmen / but seeing the
fields blow over the sea / we
believe only our eyes / and they
see dust everywhere so / for us
there is only sanding and
polishing / we are forever
sweeping / and we have
stripped back and sanded
and stained every parish. We
are forever sweeping / the
floorboards / we can see our
reflections in them / safe and
sound beneath eight layers of
varnish
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