Floating in a sparse sea of air molecules’
Tangled coordinate connections, stray atoms
Wink like stars caught in
Spiderweb, like dew.
Stratum upon stratum
Of human exhalations, exclamations-
The “Oh!” drifting up to mingle
With “Goodbye” and the clouds
Thin as layers in an onion
Dainty as lace or whiskers.
This is a transparent sea
Where the dreams of men collect, unwanted, or
The mist from between the cold red lips
Of a beautiful woman this Sunday morning.
Here too gather, in hazy swarms
The taunts of children in brown back roads,
The tears of toddlers denied milk,
The fresh breath of one baby too many-
This is the sweet fog that consumes our city.