Something Else Was Said

We were remiss in our duties –
that much is obvious –
when the night stayed long with us
as though life would wait.

One glance: the letters on the page
seem to flicker. Something
in the margin said no one would listen.
We did not heed Cassandra, no,
not the Sybil, nor St.John –
we crammed our here-&-now with answers
& shoved Being beyond.

We were remiss in our duties –
that much everyone can tell –
belatedly sounding the knell
of fellow sextons while they fell
from their spires into Hell

(Hell is the words: I hear them roar
see them wash up on the shore
beyond the page. Hell is again- &
neverwards, sad minutes stretched
into days).