Character
My feet are dirty despite the shower,
And I’ve decided I’m fine with that,
A sign of character like the
Fingernail that won’t come clean,
Split and black from a bare-knuckle
Brawl between me and a bed full of
Weeds. I could win the war with
A day’s worth of work, digging the
Invaders out by the root, rolling on
Layers of landscape fabric then
Dutifully mulching and daring the
Enemy to emerge once more.
Then again, that tactic is what
Brought us here, and even if the
Attribution is apocryphal, the
Definition of madness holds true.
Besides, there is something in the
Work itself, wresting the order of
Emptiness from an unruly field,
That pleases—entropy reversed
By these two hands! At least till
Chaos marches forward again.
6/18/2023 - 6/23/2023