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Inside the smaller cup
of ivory-white porcelain
a dragon
inside the dragon
drinking down moon and sun
its vermilion eye
inside the moon
the horror of love in autumn
as seasons change
inside the seasons
the summer sun, sudden
as in a dream
the vessel remains
smoke turns to snow
toward the beginning
rust turns to iron
a coat full of holes
reknits itself
cured
the coughing neighbor
feeds the pigeons
the dragon
ascends from rust
the warrior
from rust
forges another sword
in swirling sky
rain smoke snow
the refulgent ocean
ending time
inside the smaller cup
the ivory-white porcelain
of a dragon.
Richard Gilbert
© 2003
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