Arundo Donax

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          From
 
          Driving around the lake      on wheel-packed snow like
            sleigh rails        padded white trees    snow knives
          aspen branches      white lined    willows      and logs
                                                            crisscrossing the creeks
          Dreaming of
              walking in it    floating      thickening powder
                                                                                       layers
          From
               watching TV the news from Macedonia
          Dreaming of
                                    sorting out the Balkan peoples
                                                                                           Serbs
                                                                               from Croatians
                                                                                 Albanians
                                                                                              Greeks
                                                                                           Muslims

          Pahn lies on the bed
                            on his back      watching
                                        his shoot grow like bamboo
                                                                       like a rain stick
                                                                                      like a maple

                                                    shrinking only a little
                                                                                   with climax
                                         and growing again to
                                                                        the length of a yardstick
 
                            He calls to Aiks
                                       to come and see
                            She is amazed
                                            in a detached sort of way
 
                                            The pearlescent frosting
                                                                  overflowing the tip
                                                         soon covers it
 
                                                           warm
                                                       and pleasing
 
                                             the balanced scent of
                                       sweet
                                      rich
                                    and bitter.

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