Progress Report
Given aid and succor, perhaps a thousand men
of good character, plus a thorough commander
might hold off the armies of Khotan. Looking
down the rows of poplars, we sought to mystify
the enemy, but ended with the mystification of
our own men and women. “Alone!,” she said,
taking infinite pains to do so. Fringe groups
hid in the forests at the edge of the plain.
Residues of the past posted in strong positions.
Defending or attacking, willy-nilly, a general
must hold his tongue so as not to tip his hand.
He found his troops less reliable than ever,
unwilling to study ground, to realize how
important it is to choose positions with care
on more exposed terrain. Another child dead,
another whose remains were not found.
One cigarette apiece they were allotted,
a humble beginning. Ever-widening circles
lapped the shores of the cow-pond. The nation
untenable, after all those years of promise.
--Halvard Johnson
================
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
http://home.earthlink.net/~halvard
http://entropyandme.blogspot.com
http://imageswithoutwords.blogspot.com
|