HELP WANTED

The light – stretched from the distances
Of your hills to the east
Unto the mountains of my west –
Dispenses subtle peace.

The patience of a desert land
Makes desolation null.
The treasures of stalactite caves
Make expectation full.

One thousand cranes with crystal beaks
Make isolation moot.
The hidden feet of catacombs
Make cries of bleakness mute.

(14 February 1988, Tucson, Arizona)