SIRENS Poem by Barbara Köhler

let's say I'm "I am" a sign
that sings springs / heaven
& hell / asunder a word bro
ken a part the part that is
mine is silenced & I alike
him am likened to him a like
ness he sees he knows not
himself in the other the sign
he subjects to signification
it seems to mean to answer
the question posed disposed
fixing what fascinates seizes
his fancy the inconceivable
he sees & seeing it hears ring
ing singing a duality duetting
a twittering twain betwixt bird
& woman he sees himself
seen sung speculated an in
distinct double once in a
bird's eye in the other eye's
the other I the likeness in
difference interference heard
with the naked ear chords in
accord plangent a peal all
pervading can any one tell it
apart what comes out of his
hands he's bound he's given
himself submits to the deaf
ears of them who are like him
the cords cut his flesh it hurts
him I see I know what pain
there is to bear a cross called
"I" & more than one I am
selfother ("Sirens" he calls it)
I AM INDIFFERENT TO MY
SELF & she the stranger is my
double a part of me is in her
keeping if I'm in her keeping I
can let my self go & keep it &
the distance I'd rather keep
than flying into this security:
a hero in bonds a bondsman
to words of his own making
they expropriate the body tie
gesture to deception the end
in view requires plugged ears
not trusting the eyes obeying
his word trust what more can
he want to be & hear than
those who are like him dis
tinguished from them One not
among others he's the Master
of speech holds sway with his
say & silences the voices that
sing that ring the voices that
spring from answer to answer
for ever in motion he defines
& divides the I that names that
cleaves me: Charybdis. Skylla.