ALCHEMY

dad goes on about Bach and what came before 
Bach’s little hand reaching through the manuscript cage 
that kept safe the directions for what notes
you could or could not play  for god
strange beauty willing its way
basements of the old world, lightless dank
to tune out earth’s nuisance energies stomping above 
tinkering towards times other minds
or just same old  hunger to
domino slinky rude goldberg orchestrate
eventually the brick drops on the toothpaste
praise be something ejects
but are you still in the earth in a box
in the the body of the earth? 
can’t build a womb but can try 
can’t be a worm but can try 
dig a hole, at least, cover with plywood 
and mulch to camouflage 
hope no one falls in while 
you’re at it down there  
moist deep dampening the electric 
curse work bombardment
tuning in tuning in
so much attunement makes it 
harder to blend
metals and planets
solvent solving hunger 
desire that leaps like fire,
something lead a thirst 
for sifting and fitting together 
but at some point they stopped making
that music for god and started making
music that sounds like her herself
because you can’t help what overtaketh you 
magenta dragon on the shelf that
the collapsing man picks up then returns
trades for a wooden carousel, a grecian vase 
spirit breath bringing matter down down down
like objects might drop and birth back
a modern dust, what's left, ash mounds
symbols flat like process disguised
uncle phil’s cross and star of david and ET emblem 
hanging on a chain from the bathroom mirror 
corner of the murphy bed tucked back halfway
his body transformed to soot in portioned
ziplock bags in a little hello kitty lunch boxes
we each got one, stood in the wind 
wondering how to responsibly release 
so he could be absorbed