~~~<<<>>>~~~

That man who wants to snip birds
into sad little pieces, I know him!
And that man who has swallowed
the government, and wants to puke it up
into a billion helpless
unstruggling things
I've met him

but I am a gardener dancing
in rows with twine and fences
I've twitched with well-done metal
all the stones this late morning

grace the path I've put down for low ivy
the mask you are for all dying things

mercy the cranberry mouth, the stem you hid
so many altered things to fall
against the inalterable.