It is not what we think of
when we mouth the word,
does not merit the
syllabic effort or the
orison of arched lips
that begin it. They
insist on the monosyllabic.
Well. And leave it
enough alone.
They never assumed
it would deliver a message,
say their foundation
had sluiced downstream,
their house about to fall.
Besides, Delphi veiled truth
with a cryptic flourish.
On the other hand, what
could be more clear
than the cold and smooth
freckled body:
a young catfish circling
a bucket, rising
from the dark, to deliver
messages from the underworld.
The river has undercut
you. What cannot
fit between shoulders will
be lost.