Victoria

In a dream
In a dream of a dream
In a dream of a dream within a dream
In a dream I dreamed
you awoke
calmly tore off your chains
turned sideways
slipped
slipped through the bars
walked out
naked under moonlight

I looked inside and saw
without seeing
in the lidless expanse of mind
a reality
where masking was reversed
only mouths and noses appeared
in neatly spaced perforations
of a bottomless curtain
columns and rows
six feet across
six feet across six feet down
six feet across six feet down colorless
six feet across face-pocked void
where stars once flickered

I knew
I knew before I could know
through the senseless knowledge
that comes unbidden
like lightning
carving its name on bone
I knew
that our blindness
will worsen
will worsen the shroud will spread
will worsen the shroud will spread east and west
will worsen until its margins meet
like hands around a firefly
tightening
tightening and yet

This morning
This morning a breeze
speaks of green stalks
erupting from humus
at their soft
indomitable pace
as they have done
since time
was nameless
and I remembered
that while death surges
like Victoria Falls
life devours
the children of death
rises downstream
finds a foothold
finds a foothold looks up
finds a foothold looks up and
against all odds
against all odds walks