shot glass
title
"... brevity is the soul of wit ..."
- William Shakespeare

Tobey Hiller


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small boat

o small boat, she said. small boat.
was it prayer? incantation?
boats must be built near water. if you build them
in the mountains, you must find a river.
if you build one in the desert you must harness cloud.
some boats are made of mud. no float
will come of that. some boats are made of muscle
and their timber will last for years,
until time carves itself toward bone. some boats
are made of wish but spit and promise
can't survive the rapids. all boats
are too small for all the cargo, and it's not long
before the bailing starts. some boats
can recognize the shore, but then, oh then
you'll need a horse.