David Highsmith
Two Poems
bill of lading
shadow organs deride
our uppermost realitypropose the provisional
freight on boardour least &
most evanescent standardthe same sun
to shine onemu & blackstone
yet freight ratesvary, prehensile light
passing between lonersanother equalized load
blotter console toa slender barmaid
“not this trip”
security
“taken in its larger value
& implication…”
as he moves closer
snuggles up to homelandtheir liaison amid a certitude
of ticking & blurred postmarks
a busy terminal, heightened awareness
each citizen’s dutyhe fears, now, she knows
the limits of his defensive
capability, that she senses
his tactical vulnerabilityshe senses, now, his comprehension
of her own ideological
weakness, his readiness to exploit
any point of accessshe winks a private wink
he nods a subtle nod
in recognition of the one
clandestine body each inhabits
