Event Horizon

EVENT HORIZON

Suddenly it seemed

It had always been there

Hanging on the event horizon

Horned and winged

Poised descending sword

Glinting in the morning

There had been signs of course

You can’t say you were surprised

The wet sides of stones

Thrown into unexpected shadow

Nervous shuffling herds

And bewildered circling flocks

Preliminary field reports 

From concerned amateur retirees

The creaking of folding chairs

At the far end of the gym

It didn’t come from nowhere

But it’s not a sign of anything

You could see how it might have happened

No-one is to blame

It’s just a mistake

Like a broken clock on the beach

Like something from the past

That’s happening in the future

Like something we remember

But we might be remembering a dream

Or a terrible scolding from mom

Because she was afraid for us

There was something in what she said

But we can’t remember what it was

Time does slow down

Sun, ash, root, sand

Sea, wing, branch, bone

Leaf, face, glance, hand

For a while it does—

Slows down

But you don’t really talk about it

Or, not talk about it

You couldn’t make it any more 

Or less real

I mean 

what are you going to do

Point up at the sky and say, “Look”?

I mean 

What are you going to do

Take the kids out of school?

Then what?

No

You get used to it

You can get used to anything