polysemy polysemy absence of the absence of
                
                
predawn
the quality of light
is bluishgray
gettingwhite.
                
silverbluishgray.
that's the lake and the sky, lidded.
twistedgreenishdark.
that's the twigs and the leaves
and the bark, mingled.
                
and the gentleacidrain
stains
the birds, colorizing their prodigious polysemy.
i plain don't know my nuthatches
from my finches and my crushes
from my cardinal sins.
                
i listen to the birds like i do to symphonies
grasping at oboes, at cymbs
smeared with allspice, over there.
transient with cinnamon spikes, over here.
ooh, much closer this time, clovelike, upstairs.
                
predawn.
                
hours east
dawn is already asunder,
cleaving her day, wasting no time
or hay.  a clockwork girl, yours at 15 degrees per hour.
briskly serving workbound customers with rosefingered
flour.
miami and lima are next!  only then, chicago.
                
hours north
dawn is still asleep,
breathing away, wasting no time
or hay.  adream, a girl adream, serving no one.
mine in a few k seconds, text,
at a few k per second, text.
                
can't quite say
which direction 
the sour birdies 
                
are flavoring
the polysemic lex.

Marek Lugowski
                
Back to the Astrophysicist's Tango Partner Speaks