Incomplet

By Carolynn Anderson

Category: Poetry

He saw the sky, the flawless sheet of blue
that stirred the quiet thoughts beneath his mind.
The scattered pictures swallowed, and washed through
like naked men, and fruit without a rind.

Just once! he glimpsed that perfect sky’s azure—
and saw the numb, cold faces stare. The stain
Of nothing nothing stained you can’t endure
—for once you know the answer is insane

you’ll tear your hair out!—just as he did then—
With wonder and a fright that never fleets
you are the keyless hole, the lacking rhyme
when you realize the sky is incomplet—

No sun, no stars, no birds, no clouds, just bare
blue nothing simply standing there—