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so many rivers have crested the night
these sleepless spheres
engraved with the sound of crashing water

Karnali, Lha Chu, the Indus, the Tsang Po,
name a thousand rivers
and rug them together into one deity/demon

before light can be distinguished from darkness
the brain relinquishes thought
the heart relinquishes feeling

in the twilight zone
life and death seep imperceptibly into each other

inside the tent
morsels of courage
tiny shards of truth
are garnered like precious stones

outside the tent
in the wild turquoise night
so many rivers are charging to their irrevocable fate

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