The Old Days

Everyone wants to know
how it was in the old days
with no sun or moon in our colorless sky
to warn us we were not insane
only the harsh searing eye
of unblinking madwomen and men
calling our star a zoo
and I have no bride to recall
only many women who whisper
I was always a virgin
because I never remained.

I remember you only through the eyes
of all the forgotten others
on Monday a cat in the sorceresses’ alley
screeched out your death
in another year’s language
and I had forgotten
your name
like a promise of hunger.

Everyone wants to know how
it was
in the old days
when we kissed stone into dust
eternally hungry
paying respect to the crippled earth
in silence and in tears
surely one star fell as the mountain
collapsed over our bodies
surely the moon blinked once
as our vigils began.