17) Standard Reply in Deference to

until we meet
in the Mt. Everest
cover story
the draining time
clocked in reserve
such as saying
Merry Christmas
with pouring motion
feeling strict as the
last laughing
in the dark crevasses
cols and cyms
freezing my ass off
says some pioneer
in strict emotion
strict headline
strict comportment
while serving death
but more likely
the snow will
mimic breath
installing some
measure and
reversing sad trends
just breathe just
breathe and
forget about
the days long for
longer dashes into
quiet reflections
of moon against
the freezing sky
and pictures of
sorrow made better
with cinematic virtue
all over the sighing
place of remembrance
all of which
branches to nothing
and we pour
another coffee having
survived another night