Blue Oxen

    （it's scaffolding） （it's supposed to be temporary）

    （the domino effect） （had been forgotten about）

    （it was in storage） （nobody knew where）

    （that's a logging road） （you can see its gutters）

    （they leave handprints） （they shudder with dolor）

    （nobody could settle on any particular color）

    （they meant different things to different people）

    （for luck） （on the cheap） （stop now） （flesh for sale）

    （fresh fruit） （insect free） （aquafarm） （moon control）

    （it was label-resistant） （nobody knew how to embroider

    it） （it felt like hailstones） （big as tombstones）

    （it strained everyone's intelligence） （we had tooth

    problems） （we'd been flying too much） （our edges

    were curling） （we were like silt over sand） （we felt

    as if we were sugar dissolving in lime juice） （it

    was heavy-handed） （we were covered with treadmarks）

    （it was cosmetic） （like crystal handcuffs） （we were

    fish then） （we wanted our ladders） （most of them were

    rotten） （we can cut down some trees and build new

    ones） （we can contrive it out of convection）

    （say you're a weatherman） （seed them some clouds）

    （remember how it felt to be scuds on a mountain）

    （we had good motivations） （like treeroots buckling

    up sidewalks） （we worked like treeroots） （we'd go

    anywhere looking for water） （we were hydrologists

    then） （we had stewpots） （we were fast-breaking）

    （we were aerosol） （we had currency） （we were paper

    airplanes） （our creases were in all the right places）

    （we hadn't been stratified so many times） （it was

    because they were eye-minded） （they couldn't see us）

    （we weren't eyefuls） （we were just something to take

    note of when they weren't working） （we were like

    scrimshaw） （you were one of the ones covered with flags

    and lady liberty） （she was an eyeful） （we were hay

    rolls） （then we were haywire） （we needed paperweights）

    （we needed dollys） （it was money-laundering they did

    as a sideline） （one little cooking fire stirred up

    all of that cloudcover） （we were walking through a

    ghosttown） （it was a terrestrial globe） （it wasn't

    any bigger than an eyeball） （it was at the bottom

    of a fishbowl） （there weren't any fish in it） （the

    water was gone） （and it looked as if it had been con-

    signed to oblivion） （do you still have it） （it's

    somewhere around） （we tried to put it in a safe place）

    （in one of the treetrunks） （act like a lumberjack）

    （show them your blue ox） （your animal companion）

    （show them the marks left where you merged）

    （they said they were covered with scruples）

    （they needed some tearlifts） （you can seed them

    with dryice） （that will use up all of the liquid

    assets we have left） （then we can sell off some of

    the dunking contraptions） （we don't need them）

    （we can act the way hummingbirds act） （we can fight

    the way hummingbirds fight） （you can wear your red

    vest） （you can wear your red cowboy hat） （it looks

    awful） （as if it were made for television） （the

    worst kind） （remember the scripts that were written

    to teach us something） （past the stratosphere the

    sky isn't blue anymore） （we were unteachable）

    （we were woodblocks） （we lived in a sawmill）

    （when there was lightning） （it nearly burned down）

    （we were unwashed） （we were scoured） （we felt untouch-

    able） （and somewhat equivocal again in our science）

    （you were always exact to me） （like a storm cellar）

    （I liked it near your airstreams） （you never called

    me a social parasite and I felt good about that）

    （you never said things like the handwriting is on the

    wall） （you never said we were biding our time） （you

    weren't a warden） （you weren't a damper） （you didn't

    live in a chimney） （you didn't work for management）

    （we were still under construction） （there were

    warning signs all over us） （in that shocking pink

    orange） （like we'd been pickled） （as if we were beets

    or some other kind of root vegetables） （you weren't

    a gladiator） （you weren't resistant） （you weren't

    a virus） （you didn't know what a firewall was）

    （sometimes you did do a little fire-breathing）

    （not like a firebrand） （more like a fire that some-

    one banked in the evening waiting around until

    morning） （there were streets of clouds over the

    plains） （we were ice crystals） （laboratory grade）