Dan Williams

Things Fell Down

There were shadows off in all directions,

pushing against the hollow walls;

had I looked, I could have seen them.

One needs to listen when duty calls;

things fell down.

 

There were ghostly explanations,

tears left drying for me to find.

Walked too fast and stepped too slowly,

was soon outdistanced, lagged behind;

things fell down.

 

Where were arms when close was needed?

Where were hands when touch could have mattered?

I turned too soon, learned too late.

Where was my heart when hers was shattered?

Things fell down.

 

Shadows grew but I ignored them,

drawing hastily finished wasted lines.

Chances too often unattended,

too few reminders recognized too few times;

things fell down.

 

“Out from in behind his senses came no logic worth remembering,

 or so it seemed from the mountain;

 Out of excess came weakness, then precisionless dismembering;

 that is how they found him.”

 

Out from her simple light came dark confusion,

a vengeful harpy hovering, homicidal talons extended.

Out from her history came only crippled illusion

of today with no beginning, yesterday so poorly ended

that things fell down.