Dog packs roll about like herds of dice,
tumbling off houses, through
immeasurably green yards,
and into a park of trees
that observe a simple straightness.

Or: the town is poor in a modern way.

The happiness of the people is
that of a wisp caught
in an updraft, as is their wisdom.

The roads are curves and they curve
inward.

A sundressed woman whispers
a hello in each baroque ear:
to each and in a single breath
she implies some new universe
and each of its molecules,
before she stops at town's edge
to join another in nursing a wild baby.

____

This poem, "The Invitations," comes from a sequence that tells the story of a particular luncheon. The invitees include, among others, a scientist, an inventor, a historian, a professional leafblower, and Kevin. The food at the event turns out to be really incredible.