Tonight's The Night

A thief returns & puffs pillows, arranges sheets

& sleeps with his axe in the ice chest while he sleeps.

While he sleeps, a thief's axe waits in the ice chest

alongside ground beef. Alongside ground beef

a thief's axe waits while he sleeps. A thief sleeps

while cattle stand hoof deep in the cattle yard

waiting to die & return as ground beef.

A thief sleeps & he dreams he is flying, he dreams

he is a man who plays a fabulous drum.

He sleeps & he dreams as the cattle must. Of grass

& geese. This is to say a thief sleeps soundly.

This is to say there is only one melody, the rest

are borrowed. And occasionally one will return

& burn down the barn.

Copyright © 2005 Catherine Meng All rights reserved
from Jubilat
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission