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Lunch
- Wesleyan University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
36 LUNCH Thezoo.Soonethinksupfrom theamoeba,wayaheadtoone’sgreat-grandchildren somedayornoday.Thenbackwhereold photographslive,thoseminutes lockedintheice ofsomeone’sremembering,someuncle withacamera.Butthezoo—here!— isverymatter-of-fact:warmbodies(monkeys, zebras,anymovingthing withbeak,withfeathers)versus theflashingcoldand/orhotones:thebite-the-dirtfor -all-we-do-wrongones orthesoft-belliedfrogorthesalamanderflattened, shrunk,puffedout,itslegs,arms, sweetlittleclawscompletely notasnake,havinglurednooneandnothing. Iwassaying:considerthemetalbars.Tokeep suchwondersin,tokeepus—smallerwonders—out. Almostnoon,someuniformedsomeone turnsupwithbananas,seeds, fetalpigs,apples,theworks.Hownot tolovethisguy?—histrusty indifference,hisall-right-another-day-of-it shrugandoff-keywhistle.Theanimals lookup.Somethingisabouttohappen.Food doesthat.Inthissaddestofworlds,think lunch!andanoceanofhope ridesoverus.Isithope?Andtoocheap?This metaphorfillingthemoment?themind? thelifefinallyandexactly?Imean theguy’scomingcloser,theone withabucket.Andashovel. ...