so many years, by the minute

can't imagine what he looks like today
up all night thinking and breathing
deep into the dark nothing around
to quench his thirst nowhere to direct
his attention nowhere except up
to the pre-night purple soon to be black
as the inside of his eyelids
can't imagine the feeling not knowing
who's who what's what
who he is for that matter
what insanity whirled quickly
under white hair for fifty years
exhausted from standing knowing
it's what he is supposed to be doing
can't imagine being on a minute
to minute capacity to process information
he lived his life by the minute
for so many years...