our folks bought us the world book
a handsome set of volumes a useful
and absorbing reference once I
set out to read the whole thing
bogged down at aardvark or was it
aardwolf realizing it was an impossible
goal besides both animals soon flagged in
others’ interest as a conversational topic
why do I three-quarter-century later
keep working at unattainable goals even
taking on new ones don’t I also recall
myself at world-book age trying to cut
our lawn sown to timothy why that
occurred the timothy is too long a story to
relate but I attacked the task with scissors
managed only a small space on a hot day
before giving up with a flaming thumb the
waving green vastness still nearly intact am I
talking universals in the human spirit a genetic
need or is it just me maybe a few others who
keep butting bruised heads against walls the
dents more ours than in the uncaring barrier
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 4, 2012.
