( or, an obsessive phone-call hymn )

i.

hello.

I always knew you always liked high places.

I thought you'd make yourself an altar
[ at high places ]

be your own prophet
compose your own hymns to you
carry healing water to terrace-pasture
cattle in sieve jars
[ at high places ]

when I try to climb I fall
[ from high places ]
like an apple-colored snake
icarusing below into a phone
with a room in my hands saying -

hello!

ii.

when you look into me the way I am -
   I am filled a pond with fish
      [ at high places ]

I am filled
   with touch
      like a water
         fall unstones.

when looked away -
   you backwards gorgon -
      I freeze in my winter.

iii.

what?

I can't hear you.
can you make sense of me
when you don't listen.

are you at your high places again
the signal must be weak [ there ]
it is difficult to setup towers
at an higher altitude [ at high places ]

I want to know
what is withheld from me.

iv.

hello?
|

hello?hello?
hello?hello?
|

hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?
|

hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?
hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?hello?

~Ajay
11/12/2019