and beyond the canyons of city shadow these blindfold men
are marked with white paper hearts over hearts and must wait
flexing their toes in brown mudboots till the painter puts the final
finishing touches to Maximilian whose hand is at rest at last
in the milkwhite hand of melancholy Carlotta and his boot-black
beard has not yet tangled in the smoke that follows the scarlet
flash of the muzzle almost tipping his candid breast bringing everything
to be grasped in this crowded little spacetime to a full stop