as long as it was long heart was head and hands were feet heat was heavy, still and words were trees with roots of red urgently as long as--happy song wish was flight and new worlds won space was empty, chill and lips were birds with feathers light fervently for long is as long as life is as strong as ah to be happy and free tropic time here before old leaves go new leaves come in here before old loves know new loves begin now when the year's one spring no season chills now when the fear's one thing no reason kills this is time after then there was regret this time is laughter when where we forget stormbird the winds have abated and the rain now the lonely dark comes again with blue lines running in the mind with hands explorative and blind (was it the bitter taste of smoke or pepper berries? lips parted spoke words out of kisses bringing fears no nearer to relief than tears) now memory is of lightning, flares in the night, with darkeyed cares encircling universes strange as the skies through which they range thunder removes to distant space-- from quiet woods where ancient grace roots tree in soil and lake is mild only the stormbird's flight is wild the wind and the rain thoughts in my head like wind through pines lift to north veer to south shift to east rear to west the wind not the pines till my thoughts are dead love in my heart like rain on dust stirs to dawn dries to noon whirs to dusk cries to night the rain not the dust till my love depart art worthier than words the meaning kiss which makes true poetry of lips which sets a wisdom into rhyme no pen can simulate by line music has cadence but heartbeats sound what no ear ever tuned beyond a harmony so fully sensed that voice is mute with instrument imperative to move the dancer's arms would free the body from those bonds wherein an inner rhythm leaps secret with wonder, flow and cease the eye's canvas such beauty lights of shade and color and design that brush must hesitate to set a lesser skill on palimpsest yet kiss is brief and heartbeat slows while freedom captivates us most and beauty turns to counterfeit the images lost in memory's mist diary returning miles of space can you find the precise hour travel through that day locate the very moment ago there the train goes back and forth stops at what time stations monday morning january tenth autumn ten years ago then the boat arrives departs ticket pier cabin port pre-war london paris rome before the depression remember where the plane roars lifts the earth speeds me a century past sound past light we know the way back remember when