managerial

animals stare at the camera, becoming extinct.
where is patagonia, anyway? will those half-baked
memories of youth become the basis
of everything we do in later life?
what about iguanas, misquoting darwin for effect?
am i a critic or a programmer?
what will my friends say to mike munro?
a boa constrictor attacks and swallows a caiman whole.
giant snakes? there in paradise? wow.
change the channel & listen to the rain,
waiting for everything to stop moving,
for the kids across the road to tire of breaking bottles.
when did this happen?
you take your jacket to the cleaners
& forget your phone number,
finding it difficult to breathe after
an article on caffeine addiction
for breakfast. are you a team player?
list your hobbies & your reasons for leaving
your previous employer. get ready to be reminded
of the pointless reasons that drive this charade.
do reasons have a point? do anteaters?
mother & child set off across the grasslands
with zoom lens in hot pursuit.
where did that snake go? i start naming things
& finish with eight pencils called bertie.
try to deal with the sadness, let speed be your guide.
your attention span sparkles on the bitumen
& the kids applaud.

(Outside the Flags. Five Islands Press, 1999
search engine. Five Islands Press, 1999.)

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ted@magicdog.com -- 1 May 2000