26.

the wood pile versus the

tech boom versus starlight

(there again the yap-yap of

flickers) versus the wireless

night versus the blood root

versus the plasma screen (

I have been drinking) versus

that shimmering lake, off

route 28, a least bittern

balancing, stoic in the giant

reeds versus grim equations

versus dark paths to small

rivers versus (I was once a

boy…) the humming engines

the coils, the ticking versus

the yellow undersides of

these (now again) laughing

red-faced birds