The Hidden Meaning of Birds

truth is a residue
of unfettered habit

it is the tar
that stains
an old man's pipe

it is the soiled collar
of a shirt worn
without washing

truth smells of itself
as hot ash underfoot

truth attracts facts
like a chaste kiss
begets a brat

it is a pauper's soup
of ketchup and hot water

it is the needlestick
of heroin's delight

truth is boiling water
salted and thrown

truth is the cold halo
of nodding off

truth serves only untruth
if it serves at all

truth shines
as the starry sky
of 11 p.m. in July

truth shimmers
as the lake
before the stone skips

truth alights
most lightly

truth exceeds truth
and all these things are true