What Do Humans Want?
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Scenic escape routes, getaway cars,Anything but walls or lawsWe can’t careen around.Staying six feet overground.Friends who appear to agreeAnd get you stuff for free.Marathons, divorces—Whatever undoes us endorses.Invisible sticks bearing carrots.Servants, employees, and parrots:Whatever repeats us completes us.Riddles, conundrums, secrets.Pi, fragments, ciphers, mazes—Whatever defeats us pleases.Caffeine, cocaine, Alfa Romeos,Constellations etched on chaos,A blind one who suddenly sees,A rich one on his knees,An ever-weaker nemesis,Sleights of love and promises;Heels, good deals, and Jesus.White rabbits in black hats,Heaven for reformed rats.What quickens or clears usAppeases and endears us. [End Page 485]
J. ALLYN ROSSER’s fourth collection of poems, Mimi’s Trapeze, will appear in fall 2014 from University of Pittsburgh Press. She teaches at Ohio University and edits New Ohio Review.
