ashes across the pass

the sound of land, wet and
stopped, alternating
language and substance, subject
and object, lost
in a host’s presence

and how he greets you—
the welcome is
stone glottal and aspirant
wistful over the river

(but that river bend, that one
over past the joining, that one is
not for you)

problem: standing on the ground (yun)
double dawning like that other
idea spoken to you and (‘ust’oh) you are

like days of the week and work
ethic and the lord’s order/layers
of speech when the young girl says
she is not coming home

the language comes like (I am)
a four-year-old

an uncertain anger for a verb
its sound eluding your tongue