James Tate




St John of the Cross in Prison

Browsing among the zero hours,
and where I went from there…
diabolical? No. I went out
of myself into…I did not go
out of myself into the after-

noon of parrots; I did not go out
of myself into the dew; I did
not go out of myself into the
bat-terrors. I did not say silence,
I said nothing about the love I

did not go out of myself into.
I said nothing fire, I said nothing
water, I said nothing air. I went 
out of myself into no, into
nowhere. I was not alone.