Variation on a Theme

                               - after W. S. Merwin

Thank you for the spare hair
holding the sword and the hard
hat reminder held crown height
for the corners of cinder block
or gypsum board from where
I have walked hiccupping grace
for the lawn cut away from the stone path
that creeps into the copse détente
of cherry and fir and the rotted poplar
feeding the irrepressible beasts
thank you for the festooning
laundry that starts in gift boxes goes
to rumpled poses and carries my daily crumbs
the invisible burbling code of bone
marrow become fluid blood
guiding my hands to tea
for the tea as heater tea as healer
the lingual turn from loud cantina crowd
to crow blatant on the road