The Battlefield Where The Moon Says I Love You, a poem by Frank Stanford

Frank Stanford:

she wanted to balance the moon on her toes to keep
it from falling
but I knew all along it was the black cloud that
needed to stay in place
and so in that country where I once was and now and
will be before I was
where I spoke the words holy holy holy Lord God
Almighty all the earth
is full of Thy glory where the whistling swans ride
the backs of the white
horses of the river where the box-cars and skiffs
are full
of drunken troubadours where once I did lay awhile
longer the pavane
of whippoorwills while the pallbearers are strutting
in the ceremonies
of my sleep the passing bell nodding like a snake
charmer all far
past away deep behind the woods down the road where
I saw the lightning bug
in the country where my dreams are like bark