[Lyric] The Unveiling (Ralph Angel)

As it is it could be
fog upon the eve of your unveiling ,
or memory—unspooling every
distance—
or the mockingbird,
or the muffled screams of a neighbor,
or laughter—from strangers come
relatives and friends,
and small bowls of vinegar
in a roomful of thinking about you,
the almonds, the prayers
and the figs.

Impossible,
like the unwashed letters of your name,
or the faintly wailing
sirens of childhood, or the ocean
a half mile away—
like a kiss on the cheek,
a flutter of trees
in the plaza,
the breath of every
person you'll be.