Lilac Shadow of a Tree

I am you and who I see is me, if anything
happens it happens in me, it happens in you,
I see the lilac shadow of a tree and it seems
to me that there may be times when you just
have to love someone, or people, or a whole
world from a distance, but distance means
nothing when your loved one means everything.

I only want to know what’s going on between
us, dear water, the distance between us is disappearing
so fast I can’t catch the second of sorrow, dear fire,
the second of lordliness, dear earth, the second of
joy, dear air—everything is a second, but it’s
disappearing so quickly, without any trace.
We are us, I know, and you are me and I am you
and we are our sons and our daughters, we are

our parents and oceans, we are winds and suns
and mountains, but where is time, time
is distance, you told me, I know and it’s going,
it’s disappearing now, just because of knowing, or
love? Just because of loneliness? I only want to
know how it’s possible to love you and stay alive.
Stay alive and spend time for emptiness, for living
without understanding your heartbeats, dear earth,

without understanding your calmness, dear water,
without understanding your secrets, dear fire,
without understanding your speech, dear air.
Distance means emptiness when your loved
one means the fullness of life. Yet I see the lilac
shadow of a tree, please speak to me, my author,
I am the word in silence, speak to me more
and more, and go and go, and—

if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your
words, leave that home or town and shake the
dust off your feet…