items five

[Jeff Aitken]

It's raining again in northern California, tho we had a day of sun last
week to let the creeks drain a bit. It's 2002: a fine year to have some fun
trying to write poems. (contest schmontest) Thanks Florian, Chris, Ralph
and all for calling us forth. Go list!


And it came to pass that chaos ruled the land.
and fear arose, the sounds of shallow cries,
as people nailed boards across their doors,
and gathered food, and slept by candlelight.

and in despair the leaders huddled close,
and broadcast weary speeches from someplace.
but then a child among us found a book
and let a smile light her shadowed face.

she took two days to walk the quiet streets
and fill a cardboard box with items five,
as fine as gold they were, yet light and cheap;
she left her piggy bank inside the store.

come out, she called, at sunrise. come and see!
and slowly people gathered in the square.
come look, she cried. come close; they're in the box.
all that we need to lift our souls is there.

by now, dear list, you know what she had found.
let's name them one by one together, friends.
the simple tools we use to do our work
then brought the land together once again:

a box of
a roll of
a pad of
a ream of
a pair of

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