In the warring states period
Decisiveness was the quality in a warlord
That might keep the province together
But only one decision
Was able to keep the average one
Out of the line of crossbow fire
To be attracted elsewhere
Though perhaps not a decision
More of an ability
To evade the winds of history
For the only blow one off the cliffs
And onto the rocks
An artful dodge
But not to oblivion
Rather to the absurd
Camus' absurd
An over and over
Over-doing it
And re-identifying it
A little more often
But still going all the way in
For a little while
Sisyphus
Juan
Odysseus?
Not clear which biographies I want
But I'll read a few more
To see if there are jaunts
Replicable
Desirable
But I'd rather
Find out on my own
What I'm doing
Day to day
Rather than pre-writing
A story
That might get written up
Under the byline
Acceptable to
Simon
Or Schuster
Or Yale
Or any such gatekeeper
For rather than entering an elite
Carving just the right skulleton key
I'm building a house
With a swinging door
That won't ever lock me in
I just need a place to stay
Not a house to house
My full-on permanent identification
Papers, in trunks, so many papers
These are the papers I use to start my fires
Because I also like to be warm in the winter
And to cook my tomatoes
Because tomatoes make the best base
To add anything to
Garlic
Fish
Aubergine
Eggs poached right on top
When I'm motive
When I am a motive
To cook
To prepare
Though other times
I am only a preparer
Of fruit
Straight from the stall
Particularly in high summer
As while the states may be at war
I am at peace
Though not always
At rest
Roman Ryan 