Less, much less by Moniza Alvi

Less, much less

He hardly spoke any words

only two — 

or you could call it one

 

the last thing

he said

was bye-bye

 

flight-feathers

veined and hairlike

with interlocking barbules

 

of  sound

the bye-bye trapped

a breath of air

 

the two linked words

drifted out

on a calm lake

 

that lay there

with a single purpose — 

to receive final words

 

and allow them

to drift on its surface

out and further out

 

on the lake of  thought

and composure

encircled by mountains

 

the simple phrase

soared upwards

to the highest peak

 

where it would be planted

like a flag

would eventually be enshrined

 

each identical word carefully

balanced either side

of the invisible join — 

 

like baby talk

he put equal emphasis

on each word

 

his face was pinched

and his bird beak

very prominent

 

there have never been

two joined words

with so much space around them

 

pack up all my cares and woes

light the light

I’ll arrive late tonight

 

blackbird     bye bye

 

bye