Minnesota

seeds came in the mail today from holland

and the language on the package was wonderful and strange

all sorts of flowers that grow up from the earth

in goodly colors gloriously arranged

i circled the house and i scattered them around

let the water sink down into the soil

stared a long time at the residue

blood, milk and oil

god the humidity is something

our shirts are soaked clean through

the house is throbbing and the heat keeps coming

and i keep looking at you

and then you're singing in dutch to me

and i recognize the song

it seems so old and so fragile

and i haven't heard it in so long

we may throw the windows open later

but we are not as far west as you suppose we are

hot wind coming off the water

the sky gone crazy with stars

while we stay here we imagine we're alive

we see shadows on the walls

there's something waiting for us in the hot, wet air

sweat, water and alcohol

just the old blood

rising up through the wooden floor again

just the old love

asking for more again