eucharist at
pyramid lake

a family of Chinese people are eating under my window
outside two elk bucks scuffle in the night
they lock-unlock antlers, tick benignly like chopsticks in the dark
(and i did not know that elk bucks meow like kittens, almost whimper
while engaged in this pre-mating ritual)
they are here to deliver a message
"get away from the goddamned television," they say to me,
"live! there is no life in television. come out into the cold mountain night.
look at the lurking moon. feel the cold on your face. live! breathe!"
i grab a blanket and wrap myself tight
tiptoe down the cold balcony, unscrew a blaring light bulb
stand, watch the elk inside the edge of the pines,
breathe the sight of these two, plainly doing what they must

© Thomas Trofimuk

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