Poem 8: 4/1/01

THERMOS

If the open end of
a silver thermos is
threaded on the inside and
out, and the black plastic
stopper screws into the
inside thermos-surface, and
the black
rubber and silver metal
cap screws over the outside
thermos-surface, then a question
for topology, physics, math,
ethics, sexual
politics, gender
studies, ethno-
biology, chaos
theory, meditation,
psychoanalysis,
or just a dumb joke,
or you, might be:
Is a male stopper
screwing into
a female thermos here?
Or is a female cap
screwing over a male
thermos here?
Or does (as so often
seems the case) the problem
betray a limited point
of view? What if a male
stopper and cap are
stationary and on the
bottom, and
a female thermos
is on the top and
screwing around?
And if
in the end
open to the
possibility of
a female cap turned
cup to receive
still hot male coffee
it refills itself,
forever, like in the
magic fairy tale, like
my thirst for you
must.

© Gregg Williard

 

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Gregg Williard