The Moon in the River

The moon in the river Is a quiet fish. I dive in and am queer. I live among the stones With my purple fetched From the ocean floor. I keep it in the bank, For all the rivers know, I let it grow old, I bury the dead in a grave of mangoes.

And the moon is a silent Heron flapping. The clouds are my friends, And I stomp on their backs, So they scream and huddle In the storm, confused—discarded.

The moon in the river Is a quiet fish. I dive in and am queer. I live among the stones With my hair flowing.

• Richard Huelsenbeck