And the octopus-arm streets
Lead me here
And lead me there
But never take me far
From this town
Whose sea-serpent limbs wrap
Themselves about ankles
Both delicate and firm
Their resolve never broken
Never blessed by the birds
Who swoop the deep
And trail their angel-feather wings
Across the water
Across the lives
Kissing the gentle waves
As they lap the shore
Like the ghost-friend visit
Of dreams
Now remembered
Now lost
And on the horizon
Ever distant
Receding like the thawing summer floes
Forgotten swallows swirl
Singing softly to ears that
Will never hear
Never feel their warmth again
Drawn ever back
Through lattice-laced skies
The tentacled paths that burn
But only in the light
And lead you home at night
At night
© All original writing copyright Chris Nelson 2000-2020
