Silence

Not an absence
of blackbirds

singing, but
an abundance

of blackbirds
listening.

Visiting the Cliffside Villa

People who live
alone have systems

for dishwashing, for the wringing
of hands. The dinner

bell or bell the cow
wears are not necessary.

Remember this if you visit.
Remember, when he stands, not

ungallantly, on the Brancusi
limestone chair, hanging

the mosquito net above
the bed. Remember, when

he clasps the lace mesh
to his chest as if it held

some slender bride. Try not
to forget how he harvests

the orange orchard single-
handed, how he lets

what he can’t sell or eat,
under lock and key, in

the stone cellar, rot.