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58 Memorandum What nature has to offer I could do well without; Just stick me in my house And seal the windows shut. You can take the sun— For what it might be worth— And let it burn down To nothing but a tiny spark. Life in the dark Wouldn’t set me back much. I figure I’ve seen enough For three and a half lifetimes; Whatever hasn’t happened yet Awaits, a twisted snake, Ready to strike me dead The second I step outside. Storms, quakes, drought and frost Make these poor joints ache And swell until the pain Brings a flood of perpetual rain. Fate has left a long memorandum Nailed to my front door; Its words read like a whodunit, But I’m too lazy to think And too feeble to turn the pages. Build me a bed of stones; Pour me a cup of clay— One day, this, too, shall be yours. ...

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