laying in bed with his eyes shut wide open he saw what were either red stars like snowflakes descending through the black sky into a tilted ironworked shaft over him its keen edges and planes and emptiness tinged soft-coral or they were drunken fire-embers rising up on gentle curlicued drafts surrendering to the night . . .
 

                                                                    they awakened again in his eyes

he remembered them as he sat on his sofa barely occupied by the mundane goings-on on the television screen  beside him at his hip was his clipboard paper and pen . . . the sliding glass door windowpanes beyond the screen seductively caught his eye as a suddenspied skirt might  enough so  that he casually lifted his eyes and saw and sighed Yah nice and dropped his eyes . . . but he lifted them again not sure what it was he saw . . . the windowpanes their glib squares reminded him of the tinged tilted I-beams . . . and either on them or behind them or in front of them he saw . . . behind them he saw water falling as if he were behind a waterfall looking out through it into a blue day . . . or reflected on the glass and before it through it vapours shimmering   rising    spirits . . . and spirits would be a fair guess because the house was haunted  though he usually saw them as figures a mans a womans the man in the hall unsure seen then retreating into the hall disappearing as he went and the woman her face and figure floating over him as he lay in bed  saying his name   he was more shocked at her whispering his name than by her presence

he sat transfixed  watching  watching the rising or falling or reflection 

                                                       then out of the corner of his eye beside him his clipboard sat something  something that was very old  and patient   a warm presence    he knew if he turned his head to look directly at it it would disappear  so he didnt  he sat in suspense enjoying his unknown companion  he listened  he felt   he existed beside it    maybe thats all it meant to relate or confirm  his existence  now   and eternally   and it without prostration or devotion or celebration or confirmation  a zealous existence  a devious humour  a delicious slippery vapour coming and going as wished   unencumbered    unrestrained

 

    

2026,  Monday,  19  12. 16

1018,  Twosday,  20  12. 16