Distance Between Desires

From the moon to the end of this poem
hums the distance between desires.
In troughs of night Jasmine slept,
numb from the consumption of rays
from the moon. Through to its end, this poem
fends off desire. A toast to the heavy
drum that pulls us daily and pushes us to
hum the distance. Between desires
men scoff at the moon hung lightly in the
plum-dark night as they measure breaths
from the moon to the end. Of our poems,
ends tossed out to hold them off, we hope
some may say they rumble on and pleasingly
hum the distance between. Desires
bend us and bend. Doff your hat, where I come
from, a show of respect. Desires plumb where we come
from. The moon to the end of this poem
lends soft light. As one desire leaves another
hums. The distance between desires

Sean Hill
“Distance Between Desires” first appeared in Tin House Issue #39, Volume 10, Number 2: Spring 2009.