No aspect of the thing before us

No aspect of the thing before us
Gave us a hint of something worth hoping for
Yet we all looked on in curiosity
As the man turned it in his hand

Or tossed it from one hand to the other
So our heads shook and nodded
Uncertain of what our future was
With this thing in his hands

Still the sunlight hit it like hope
And hopped from corner to corner
Dazzling like electricity dazzles
Along the edges of the thing

And it shone garish bright
When he pressed the face of it with his thumb
We were all of us dumbfounded
And reached out our palms to take hold of it

The birds later wondered
Whether we mean the same thing by music now
Now that it is an inch from our brains
And ever further from the sky

Yet we all craved it with out dumb craving 
Sewed pockets for it 
Closed all our windows for it
Printed photographs of face after face

He said he was only passing through
Taking a piss on a shrub or two
Chuckling to himself about hopes
Hopes in a town like this town

He began packing his bags
And continued jabbering on like this
He began to leave in some unbelievable vehicle
But we could not let him go.