THE ALEX CROW POEMS 3: “We Can Move the World”

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“We Can Move the World”

We are deft carriers of couches,
our hands gripping one end of a sofa,
grunting, there is no one on the other side.

 

We only have one uniform.

There is no way to put our end down.

 

We carry curio cabinets on our backs,
the ceramic sacraments still on the shelves;
figures hammer tiny hands against the glass.

 

Every scratch in the finish like a lash to us.

We are responsible for any and all damages.

 

We can move a refrigerator freezer with ease
so long as the door is securely-taped closed;
we want to keep the question of the light a mystery.

 

We believe it stays on at all times.

No one tells us that it is not so; we believe.

 

We can arrange boxes for maximum packing;
we know the basic shapes: I’s and T’s
IT is all we need to know by way of content.

 

Our ability to arrange for square shapes is universal.

Every cardboard crate has IT in shaky black marker.

 

As we carry the bird cage to the end of the walk,
we note the van we left running has been hi-jacked.
We are chided by family pets each time this happens.

 

You would not be surprised how often this happens.

 

We do not expect to be tipped for our failure.

 

We keep the bill of sale and inventory in our front pockets.

 

We sign them by proxy and we feel the loss of property deeply.

 

We will walk to the end of the world to reclaim what was yours.

 

We have a schedule to keep; we are pressed for time.

 

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