"Animals and Things . . ."

I.

Forks, knives, spoons, doorknobs
Tables, chopping boards
Things.

He puts a fork in his mouth
I see a thing
Shoved in the mouth of a thing
By a thing.

Yellow teeth clutching silver
Empty hands opening doors
Coffee rings on the table
Blood on the chopping board
Things.

II.

Animals
Sometimes I see something in animals
But
Like penguins in a service station
They bow to the crowd
And throw me fish heads.

***
Stephen Morse 1972