an amazing man lies down on his front lawn
as if on a bed of nails
sleeps until the paperboy
delivers to his door
an ad for marvelous
marvelous pants

he vacuums his lawn
irons his porch
each single hair on his perfect head
like broken glass

the sun peeks out from behind
the single cloud of the afternoon
everywhere
there are things in no hurry

the grass explodes

earthworms race to build
their necessary tunnels

each day, mowing his lawn twice
once in the shape of his late wife
once in the shape of Ontario

i ran up the fire escape
as the robin fed its young
regurgitating everything