Like a stolen bicycle wheel the year
I had four haircuts one civil one religious
marriage a mortgage hundreds of deleted
sentences before dawn coffee every
morning at the Cape of Good Hope
I saw no ships turn but the seas did meet
I paid to park at the left turn 
of the world the sign saying it was
not the continent’s southernmost point
crestfallen a busload turned back
for love of extremity is love of having
to go no further but the seas do meet
I met myself turning back before dark
slowly keeping with gnarled trees
grown up low brushing invisible curvature
through heath out to sea into air going
a direction always giving never gone