You went too far this time
And managed to backtrack
To the right before
That place in the physical realm
You stood once more
On solid ground
Moss, lichen, pine root,
On the ball of your foot
In the cascade of water
Flowing down the forest floor
From the Silver Hollow
Notch in the sky
Reflecting the shimmering sun
Through the early morning fog
From which it gets its name

Surrounded by invisible voices
Singing you their songs
From the ash, birch, and striped maple
You wonder
Like you do watching
The gull studded Tierra
above the Ciconia
that the natural order of things
is just what you see
and the why of it beyond comprehension
which is what got you into trouble in the first place
Looking for the extinct animals of the Sierra
To establish your prehistory
To live in a dream you had
To feel what is beyond what you can feel

My friends on the other side
They said you were confused
That you didn’t know what you were doing
That you went too far this time
You thought the unthinkable thoughts
Humans shouldn’t think while alive
You realized what was going on
And you no longer qualified
But you needed another chance
And promised not to say anything
That you would do it over
In silent ignorance
As if this
Never happened
So they turned you around
Pushed you back through
And you are cursed