Intermixed

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INTERMIXED


The lawn is green, and very much 

alive. I have spread a bed of mulch 


around the little Japanese maple,

like dandruff off the purple 


locks. The lawn is, as I said, very much 

alive. I lied. There is a stretch


of wilted blades around the maple

tree, where I sprayed. It’s in a circle, 


a diadem of decay. Still, 

little shoots have found a way to fill


the gaps between the flakes 

of mulch. To further complicate, 


one of them is a dandelion,

so young and firm a spider has hung


from it, wrapping up a wriggling

gnat. That’s that. The storm-


door is casting its reflection.

God, me too? The mix is dizzying.


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