The Fifth Quartet, Single (dust disturbed upon this bowl) (early 1990's)

Would you rather I didn't?
Shall I suppress?
Shall I frustrate this landscape,
press the lava back down through the crust?

Would you rather?
I have all of this at my disposal,
and I am willing to use it.
I am ready.

The crack formed in the desert as the wind
whipped the sand down inside and
the being walked away from the abyss
because he feared
because he wanted to live

Would you rather I didn't?
There's a bit of sparring, a bit of boxing
in all we endeavor
Would you rather?
Shall I...?
What would you prefer?

I fear
I want to live
I will walk away

What would you prefer?
Would you rather I didn't?

Squeeze all the blood and gristle through your teeth
Squeeze the liquid flow of life
Force the clay directly through the screen
Tell me exactly what you mean
It is impossible to say...

Would you rather I didn't?
I'll take my hand away from there
I'll take my hand away from there
When I say that I don't care
I mean it.

Tell me exactly...
Shall I suppress?
Shall I back the tide upon the moon
leave the cheese a moldy sea of green?

Would you rather I didn't?
Shall I find the very first stone,
the very first stone,
in that Wall of China Great?
And pluck it out for you?
What is it you desire?
What would you prefer?
Shall I rewind all the tapes,
all the cars will back away,
bullets will gently exit skin,
begging pardon,
stuffing all the blood back inside?

In my beginning is my end.

Would you rather I tacitly imply?
Shall I let all this pass by?
In hopes that it will fold itself out upon you
one day,
in a bloom at once complete?

Or shall I roll it all at once?
Shall I dare be indiscreet?
Do I dare?
I fear
I want to live
I will walk away
from the abyss

Would you rather I didn't?
Shall I stuff the spot back on the sun?
Shall I scar myself for you?

Would you rather?
Shall I stand a bit apart?

Over the years the water stopped
coming around and
we were fossils

Shall we explore this grand dry future?
Do we dare attempt to breathe?

In my beginning...

Approach the divisor, stretch your wire taut
Ignore the hailings of those who have succumbed to fear
Our intestines, when stretched taut, would
circle the world
tightrope across the abyss upon your own wire taut

Would you rather I didn't?
I fear
I want to live
I shall not walk away
This abyss is all I have, you may come
or you may stand there and
watch me forever, disappear

Watch me try to stuff nature in my pocket
I will try to breathe
I am the burning lifetime of an old undeciphered stone