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In This Mess Together | Poem

In This Mess Together


The hungry human stomach,
Speaks sotto voce,
It is the bassoon,
In the orchestra;
Or the slime-covered,
Water-smoothed,
Boulder one foot beneath the green waves
          rushing madly downriver;
It is a red balloon skinned with led,
Never rising,
It has no string,
No rubbery-knot at the bottom,
No advertising for "Hendry's Hardware" on it;
          It is the story  with no book to hold it
                                                               together,
Hunger is the body begging the mind,
Saying,
          "We are in this mess together"
And the mind replies:
"Beggar! I will do you a favor!"
And the stomach growls happily all the way

                                                        to

                                                             the

                                                                   cafe.


- Michael Warren Eliseuson