Illustrative

wren wiping his bill on the ridgeline of the roof

his mate already brooding on a second clutch

the first clouds always look innocent enough

until they open their rainy mouths

catbird singing out instructions for assembly

a deer sneezing from her day bed in the weeds

this is how one gauges one’s aptitude for silence

in Figure 1 we can see how the trend lines wander

game trails converging at the edge of a cliff

at the bottom of which waves pound or traffic roars

and over there it’s me with a stick

hunting my lost appetite on the z axis