she fell in aisle four
dreaming words
and of her brother
coffee box blanket towel cup
sherbert sorbet chess

every face was stern
in the rafters
a squirrel at play

i'm saying it wrong
she says
was it aisle four yes
after opening the glass door
looking at ice cream
sherbert and sorbet yes
yes

those were the words yes
wine tissue cauliflower spray
from nowhere unhinged
like snow
just the sounds no

these are the words yes
concentrate

the last i saw my brother
we had ourselves a game
of chess
he won he often did
what did you dream of him then

his death i guess
his funeral without a suit
every face was stern

and the squirrel
things get in bats birds
deer coon possum
pets we've not yet met yes
beasts with a surplus
of naivete

out of the wet yes
and sense