They've a mind of their own
scribbled on the wall of a faux ruin
fragments of Doric columns
lying about, a brown bagger's leftovers
smoldering in the heat.
There are plenty of stories like this
on public television
especially during pledge week.
The worldwide abhorrence of domestic chores
is one that comes to mind.
Or the railroad spreading west,
uprooting settlements,
plundering hair salons and delis
in full view of the early afternoon sun,
the lunchtime crowd barely out the door.
Or the service of tea in the basement
of an opera house, where the mold
speaks in tongues to those
born amid the dawning of the Age of Steel.
Can you imagine being responsible
for coordinating the playtimes of hundreds
while maintaining a strict radio silence?
Or comparing dishwashing detergents
using a standard metric?
Or what about editing a treatise
on doggy styles for seniors
with hearing impairments?
Are we really as fathomless
as we would like to believe?
A giant in the field of architecture
made that mistake while falling
head over heels for a fuzzy anchor
from one of the commercial networks.
She was the same giant -
bag and shoes perfectly matched -
who had insisted
that small colorful toy trains
with cute names like Toby and Tammy
be inserted randomly into boxes
of Cracker Jack.
Some have become collectibles
and occasionally show up on eBay.
