An orchard of shore trees
 precise because of autumn
etches its branches
in the grey silk river

The edge of the sky
fills up with blue and soft sand

A barge bearing lights
 like the leaning faces
of motionless immortal sailors
trails behind
 a cat o’ nine tails
made of dark chain
punishing the silken water

We never see the river
 run blood red
The yellow sun is lost forever
Its loyal sky
 is crumbling
like a slow avalanche
into its thickening edge
 of soft blue sand

Darkness makes
 a home for the world
The serpents
 rise swanlike from the water
hurl their narrow tongues
at the iron hulks
of the dreaming tethered ships

If there are humans left like me
 along this natural shore
they do not dare cry out
My coat is the colour
 of the ruined sky
my fingers
 of the soft blue sand