The air is rare

"The fact,"
Van Gogh said,
"is that we
are painters
in real life
and the
important thing
is to breathe
as hard as ever
we can breathe..."

The air is rare

spirits shimmer
in the spaces
between the light

I inhale
through my soul

My fingertips
grasp at echoes

I see dreams

I hear promises
from the mouths
of barely known gods
and understand them

I feel a warm sun
beating in my chest

I see its light
fan from my hands
when I spread them
in front of my eyes
then splash it
across the giant dark