running water

No cow or moon vest sky
tonight as stars in turn short
out their flickering bulbs. And in
my room, imagine hooded figures
creeping 'hind the walls in dark
reflections of a pane of glass or mirror's
sparkling shard, here I am haunted. Here,
here I am trapped

        in bars of linen and tight sinew
        thighs, the steps
        won't come to feet. the music
        dies

And starts again as all I do to
fill the night is sing. My words take
shape in colour struggling their wings
to permeate the dark. When I'm alone
I sing, always panicking footsteps
walking in on naked throat.

Tonight is soaked in mist or blackened
tar, I can't decide. Heavy enough to
drown but running fine through veins
like ice left in the sun. It feeds me
drop by drop by

        d
        r
        o
        p

until I can float upside down, hold
air, pretend to drown. Until the
bubbles' pop releases sound into
the stagnant air, tonight.