Land was pastures Land was cities Land was tall buildings gutters rain. Land was barns and silos. Land was trains dribbling going stopping starting. Land was People herded. Land was People separated. Land was a buzz. Land was a hum. Land was a noise. Land is:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Land was snow. Snow fell. Snow curdled. Snow turned Land to canvas. Snow curved Land. Snow mounted Land. Snow crept onto the Land and snow made the Land new snow made the Land soundless snow made the Land thick snow made the Land still snow made the Land sharper snow made the Land swollen snow made the land pregnant snow made the Land resound snow made the Land reshape snow made the Land Land. Snow to snow. Snow to Land. Land the snow.

Falling.

Boy found a well and dropped into it. Boy bomb. Boy deep in a well. Boy deep in a thought. Boy steeped in thinking. Boy holding the rock edges. Boy holding the dream sides. Boy gripping the passing moments.

A Well is a hollow. A Well is a movement. A Well is a deep place. A Well is an unshaken ground. A Well is a ruby. A Well is a bright in darkness. A Well is a foundling. A Well is a story. A Boy down in it.

Above ground is where bombs have fallen is where temperatures rocket is where herds of People scavenge forage hunt scalp. Above ground is where the Ocean is black is where the River is black is where the Moon is black is where the Sun is black. Above ground is where the Boy he came from and is where the Boy he hides from and is where the Boy he caves away and down and into the Well.

Down in, the sound of his breathing:

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

A Well where Boy makes snow angels where Boy makes snowballs where Boy licks icicles where Boy carves sculptures of swans and turtles and other animals that are used-to-bes and has-beens and sort-ofs and so-long-and-goodbyes. Boy’s breath a foggy god. Boy’s breath an icy creep. Boy’s breath the make of words.

GLORIOUS COLD.

And Boy he brings Girl there. And Boy he lays with Girl there. And Boy he wraps Girl in light punching dreams in scaffolding of ideas in whispered words in the sound of the World in the Oceans Mountains Sky Clouds Moon Sun River. Sound.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

And Boy he bathes Girl in snow he washes Girl in pretended light he lifts Girl with words he cradles Girl in his Boy hand Boy watches Girl swell Girl watches Girl swell Land Mountains Ocean Sky Clouds River Sun Moon.

Down in a Well, away from the World, watching the hills’ faint returning.

-j.a. tyler