That Life
       

And did you think that life (that begins like a fire and consumes
and did you think that life (it unites you with beasts, you hold it in common
that life (given to you freely, but in what dream would you have pursued it
has been a series of standard answers (you put on your shoes and walked
to expected questions (to the city where they said the oracle was
and did you think that life (there is only one, despite the lies of the elders
has haunted you like a lost child (I mean wolves, yes, but also insects and clams
and are you being dramatic (I know you would deny it but you are dancing
or are you (a space is opening up on the inside, that's where the world is
parsing the words of the oracle (where the world goes, and yes you are dancing
and a space opens up on the inside of the world (yes that's where you go
and you go (and a space opens up, and the oracle falls into silence
like a child (there is only one, you fall silent, you fall silent then you go
to the city (where the fire and the beasts are, and the city falls into silence
and did you think that life? (and did you think that, life?

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from Bennington Review
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