a letter from the big dipper

written 28-29 August 2005 copyright © 2005-present James Sanghyun Han (a.k.a. steal this and DIE)


at moments you were John Cusack
at others Ralph Fiennes
alternating between soft
curve-edges rounded off
and angularly sharp

many times i saw vulnerability
but then you would smile
and your tight-wide eyes
skittish like fishes and stars
would loosen as Paul McCartney shone through

and every night after work
under a dark emulsion of constellations and smog
i drove home impossibly fast
down the hard black curves that led me to you and all your faces
taking the freeway exit with tires squealing in protest

cause to see you a minute earlier was pure heaven

and when we were still in the phase of setting our skies on fire
many nights i'd come home to a conjunction
an alignment of emotions and sometimes of more
my moon under your tongue
your big dipper in my mouth

and the stars were feeble compared to our pure heaven

but then many nights i began coming home to oblivion
stepping inside from the world to find a frigid vacuum
your body orbiting around a cold new sun
your soft edges and angularities distant and in shadow
big dipper below the horizon

so tonight i drive home slow like a hearse
westbound on the freeway three miles above the speed limit
and i near the very exit that i so ache to take
i drive down the familiar curves and angularities that led me to you
and though my body drives past my heart takes the exit

and i could turn around and follow it
i could call you and ask you to take good care of it when it gets to your door
but my heart is lately fragile
and interfering would do no good

so until the curves are unfamiliar i continue westbound
keeping the big dipper on my right
uselessly heading for a hot sunset that sunk two hours ago
sick from fright
alone in a dark emulsion of constellations and smog


Autobiographical Fun
Ganymede's Library
Ganymede's Palace