• Vol. 10
  • Chapter 05

Digestion: a journal

 i.
For days, four days,
  forelegs of a
journey, we went hungry!
  That land
was poor with pigs
  that could not
chew things through.

Even so, we took notes:

"Of its kind this cow is kine."

  "I wish we could have
a stomach like a heart."

  In the valleys, two-legged fowls
took wing. Few flew.
  In ponds, in lakes
scaly fish swam.
  Yes, before our eyes. They used
fins. So would you.

1

Digestion: a journal

   ii.
  Then west to the plains
and the days grew longer.
  Led by our legs we
followed the sun, and
  what's the sun seeking,
is there any more land
  beyond this land?

Digestion, cont'd

   iii.
  We leave our tents behind
they refract into pyramids,
  it’s not difficult.

Three days out of town
  the route begins
to ruminate. Suddenly
  within us it's clear

as bones or as appetite
  (as at that moment
when peace hooks up with us,
  like a distant light almost

2

Digestion: a journal

a storm from a dismal firmament)
  that we must
fight for what we want
  or do without,

  iv.
stomach like a heart
  tonight we'll feast on what we feel
without embellishment
  and then consider, then hold fast.

3