A Hole in the Fence

Coming from a dark
      warehouse of garden
          supplies and alterations
from a lawn in a dim corner
where a woman in
a white dress plays         
                            croquet with green children
Pahn wanders                                                       
among his images
                         like a gardener
                                                   on his estate constructing
                                        his own landmarks         he brushes
under the pines into a hybrid                                               
childhood of well tended shrubs                       
and backyard woods      He settles
in the humus morning                                                           
of dew and garden floor                                                          
the sprinkled walks and                                                     
breathing leaves   the glaze of mind
           playing the air   thoughts of Ahnjehlia
showing in the foliage and
memory changing the landscape     Then
unannounced through                                           
a hole in the redwood boundary                                        
at the edge of the yard                                               a bear                
comes bounding in from the woods
like Moses the dog         but
Pahn can’t explain him    as a dog    or         
give him a name like religion                       
or ask him questions                                    
                             about life        so the bear
                             attacks him aimlessly
devouring his safe
and customary knowledge

There are dogs barking    at the bear
             so Pahn locks them     in the playhouse
He wrestles the bear                                               
with determination
and encouraged      by what Wayland might say
Pahn thrusts his hand down                                             
the bear’s throat                                     
sacrificing            
                                      his arm only to realize
                  this bear has many mouths    that could devour
                                                                   both arms
                       and both legs
                                                       and more       Knowing
his limbs are useless   Pahn
clamps his will around the bear’s head
and smashes it repeatedly
against the ground    until                                                    
the bear relaxes   falls away
and Pahn becomes detached       Finally

Pahn walks off under his eyelid

with Wayland’s
brown dog...