something slipped
from the wallpaper
the nose of tristam shandy,
gore vidal and
Barbara Billingsley

a convention of practicalities
weathered by white noise
the static of scenery
a doe, a mime,
dick van dyke and Buddy

startled from some kind root beer float afternoon
slaying a ground squirrel with a .22
flying in the face of adversity
and wondering how he does that