Saturday, May 10, 2014

The heat scourges a parched land

By X. Z. Shao

The heat scourges a parched land
like a mummy dehydrated
to preserve a fancy eternal life
by sucking out the body fluid.
You need a wand of Abram
to create a spring,
a shrine made of a few stone,
and Moses’ invocation
to survive on the rain of manna.

 
In this sea of wealth,
tidal waves surge to every brim.
Like souls in Noah’s water,
some hold on to floating logs
while the rest keep afloat
until the strength of their arms yields.

 
To keep dry, you need a Noah’s ark,
a Noah’s ark in the air,
majestic, lofty with timbers
and craftsmanship acquired from
the widest land and the furthest past.

           Morning, Feb. 19, 2011

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