Desert song

a poem by Roddy Williams

Whereyou're from it's a long way

sofar you have to throw your voice to ricochet

fromclouds

earlymoons

lateplanes

Yourchuckle gravels

lacedwith grit and grains of sand because

youlaugh much closer to the land

Whereyou're from it's a long way

sofar that no one can see you

withoutbooking the Hubble

Youlive two hours ahead

WhenI arrive at noon you are

alreadygone

leavingonly your timescaled musk

hangingover lunch like the scent

ofan hour hand

oran ill-timed gong

It'sa long way where you're from

Iwould need to cross the years

runout of my life

jumpout of plummeting excuses

havingabandoned all my baggage

and just fly

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