secret fortunes found in chinese boxes
the sky full of whispers of paper
replies discovered in ancient books
dim street lamps light
reflect off of broken glass
I hear the approach of fall

as turned leaves coast on wind then fall
all my belongings placed in boxes
tissue paper wrapped around glass
thrown away the scraps of paper
with a switch I turn off the light
my plane ticket has been booked

my eyes skin letters in a book
in my mind, they are lost and fall
off the page, I close my eyes to the light
thinking of my belongings in boxes
all the words I've written on paper
as I stare out a tiny window of thick glass

the passengers stare through me like glass
I close the book
use a slip of paper
to mark my place, it slips and falls
from my fingers, lands on a box
beneath a seat, the seatbelt signs light

the sun sets, making rosy light
I see dust particles settle on glass
I pick up the slip on the box
then put away the book
into a deep sleep I fall
dreaming of the smooth feel of paper

I wake with a desire for paper
and pen, there is no light
I have the sensation of falling
as the plane lands, world speeding by glass
I walk past newsstands' rows of books
to the conveyer belt spitting out boxes

my life in paper is contained in a box
leaves of fall have turned, pages in a book
this chapter ends, cool light reflecting off glass.

10/28/1998

Posted on 05/15/2003
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