Art Supplies
I have nothing that could qualify as actual knowledge about my backyard.
At the end of a long day, I sit in it. The afternoon, luminous, perfumed, evokes eternity. Sometimes, a kind of menace, occasionally grace. Sometimes, a no-man’s-land made of anxiety. Everywhere birds’ nests. From the street, the untamed laughter of young girls.
Sitting like this in my backyard induces a seductive fever. A warm slow-moving breeze, the palms sway, testimony to primordial life. Language vanishes, only a ghost lingering in my mouth.
My dog trots out from the house, licks my hand. The backyard is satisfied, the earth is satisfied. The fever breaks and I feel a surge of energy, as if it were not just time to rinse the day’s coffee cups and put them in the dishwasher, but the beginning of the world.
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Universal Instructions
Now that you have opened the box,
you can see all the parts organized
in numbered bundles.
If you see a bundle numbered 17,
you have made a mistake.
Put the parts back in the box and start over.
Choose a time when you’re not rushed
or likely to be interrupted.
Follow these instructions precisely
Do not attempt to install if pregnant
Whenever possible, the automated method should be employed to avoid joint pain. And remember,
Dum vita est, spes est.
To keep the operation simple,
the timer settings can be easily overruled
by altering the last programmed command.
Do not eat for 16 hours prior,
do not take more of it,
do not take it more often,
and do not take it for a longer time.
Fill a bowl or sink with warm water,
confirm your internet signal is stable and strong,
wash your hands and wipe the area clean.
Velvet gloves are recommended.
Trim your hair to ¼ inch, sterilize
all utensils, add ice to the shaker, and do not begin
until the temperature indicator is green.
You may have your shirt on or off
If twitching occurs, rub with a mixture
of salt and herbs. Let your muscles relax and go soft.
Sit in front of a mirror, take the lid off,
and tip your head back.
Pull down your lower eyelid, and look up
and to the right.
Allow your breath to breathe itself.
This helps the gasses reach all parts of the body
and penetrate the tissues.
When you’ve finished, stand
close to the person you’d most like to impress
and see if they notice the difference.
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Peter Schireson grew up in California, studied at UC Berkeley, University of Victoria, and Harvard University. After retiring from a career, first in education and later in business, he returned to school to earn an MFA from The Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. He has published six volumes of poems. He has also trained in Zen in both the US and Japan, and is married to the psychologist and Zen teacher, Grace Jill Schireson. They live in Palm Springs, California with their small dog, Dewey. Some of Peter’s writing and paintings are at www.peterschireson.com.
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Stone Poetry Quarterly 