<span style="font-family:Tahoma, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse"><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">A PLOY</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">a plugged-in glow globe throwing</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">thumbprints of land, islets of the outer Pacific</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">over snow</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">stuffing up gaps</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">in the hospital hot/cool unit.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">no sleep at first, dream</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">about a patch of bog</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">paved over by the wide margin</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">Thoreau loves to his life:</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">“I love a wide margin to my life” – Thoreau.</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><i><span style="font-size:small"> </span></i></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<i><span style="font-size:small">it </span></i><span style="font-size:small">was lovely to say</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">that </span><i><span style="font-size:small">it</span></i><span style="font-size:small"> was raining</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">and to mean</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">that </span><i><span style="font-size:small">part of you </span></i><span style="font-size:small">was low: half </span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">was suspecting yourself</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><i><span style="font-size:small">on to something</span></i><span style="font-size:small">: the rest</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">fell from following</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">the first half’s lead:</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">opening a book on the bar</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">in front of each empty chair:</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">setting yourself</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">at the bar’s far end</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">till night, your own cloud of it</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> ran right to the orbs of your eyes.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">No emotion is pleasing!</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">Each must be rejected</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">replaced by an opposite</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">rejected and replaced by yet another</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">vast strain of undifferentiated sentiment</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small"><br></span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">till longing collapses</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt"><span style="font-size:small">as its silvered edges</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">ebb themselves equal, eager</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">to stand there lapsed</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">by the great lapses</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">you find in your way</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:36pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">until you find your way</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">or till you find your ways</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:72pt"><span style="font-size:small">have rearranged you slightly</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">as a mirror rearranges slightly</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">what has mostly been lived</span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt">
<span style="font-size:small"> </span></p><p style="margin-top:0pt;margin-right:9pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:108pt"><span style="font-size:small">by sight.</span></p><span style="font-size:small"><div>
<br></div><br><br></span><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:small"><b>Jacqueline Waters</b> is the author of a book, </span><i><span style="font-size:small">A Minute without</span></i><span style="font-size:small"> </span><i><span style="font-size:small">Danger</span></i><span style="font-size:small"> (Adventures in Poetry), and a chapbook, </span><i><span style="font-size:small">The Garden of Eden a College</span></i><span style="font-size:small"> (A Rest Press). A new book will be published by Ugly Duckling Presse in 2011. She lives in San Francisco and is an editor of </span><span style="font-size:small">The Physiocrats</span><span style="font-size:small">, a pamphlet press. </span></div>
</span><br>-- <br>RealPoetik<br><a href="http://www.realpoetik.org" target="_blank">www.realpoetik.org</a><br>