interstellar space (for john coltrane and rashied ali)

what is this?
this drumming
is not possible. this saxophone
repeats the impossible again and
again:

sound. unexpected
sound. heroic
sound, except heroes
are not conceived of here and
sound is alleged to be
impossible.

if there is a path
among the planets, this is
the map. instead of eyes,
use ears. instead of logic and one foot
after the other, take monstrous glowing
leaps, let distance be taken to task.

we exist everywhere at once.
space is a lie.
the lie of cold empty space
allows our detachment.
there is no
interstellar space, only misunderstood
presence.

a road is an object that doesn’t move.
we move. we open our doors and then
make a difficult road our excuse for not moving.

but when horn and drum convince us,
when we step out upon it at last, we will say:

who are these giants, these heroes, racing ahead of us
among these gargantuan stars?