THIRST

In an act of faith,
ouside
the inequality of this planet,
I search the ground,
trash bins,
landfills....
for every rumpled paper with ink stains
to find another gem,
another "Paradise Lost" to be Gained.
I'm the "Idiot,"
"As You Like it,"
with "Grapes of Wrath."

Delighted to live
the life
of a pack-rat.

In the roundup of volumes,
words have branded themselves
into my soul with flames,
hopes, and illusions.
Now, real disasters
bow at my beckoning
with solutions unheard of.

Their abundance
does not always quench
the thirst I feel.

Still,
words are oxygen,
words are blood,
words are fire.
Words do justice to life,
justice that is not charity.