“Out of Thin AIr” [by Bruce Kawin]

Thin air

Out of Thin AIr

some people stand outside in the thin air

to look for lines that make a grid, a net

and finally reveal

a system, where

there was nothing but air

look up and hope to find what’s real

the way Moses had to and the other prophets

the sky a drawing board to sketch abstractions

with lines around its boxes, forces, waves

to plot what happens and how much

or lovers have to, looking at the stars

for what to do

when they have one shoe off

but haven’t dropped the other

need to know now but nobody will tell them

— Bruce Kawin

       

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Author: The Best American Poetry