the one time you were able
to have a decent conversation with me
you sat direct in front
I was on a sofa—you
on a table before me
slightly elevated, looking
down you placed a hand
on my shoulder
our friendship
a tangle of plateaus
seer seeking sage advice

at the crossroads
I've taken
to searching for the sturdiest
walking sticks
my dictionary—reliable
as it is mercurial
a shifting table
with pulsing glossary whose index
has never rusted but needs
to be watered
weeded on every listen

what gate interprets
which one steers
and here
is where heart indulges mind
connection steady
as if definition
were faith—wondering
which one is higher
what friendship does to time
listen to this song, dear neighbor
how we always return to start