“who died here?
where's the body?”

“no place. . .
that weeping
is the tone
of poetic prose”

“I could have sworn
a pessimist
was buried there”

“no, just the word
as it comes
off the tongue
in hard lacquer”

“no roast beef then”

“no, only guava
and quince”

“too bad
it is an
indulgent country”