1164, My Weariness of Epic Proportions - Charles Simic

I like it when

Achilles

Gets killed

And even his buddy Patroclus-

And that hothead Hector-

And the whole Greek and Trojan

Jeunesse dorée

Are more or less

Expertly slaughtered

So there’s finally

Peace and quiet

(The gods having momentarily)

Shut up)

One can hear

A bird sing

And a daughter ask her mother

Whether she can go to the well

And of course she can

By that lovely little path

That winds through

The olive orchard

1163. A Plain Ordinary Steel Needle - Kay Ryan

     -Ripley’s Believe It Or Not?-

Who hasn’t seen

a plain ordinary

steel needle float serene

on water as if lying on a pillow?

The water curdles up like Jell-O.

Its a treat to see water

so rubbery a needle

so peaceful, the point encased

in the tenderest dimple

It seems so simple

when things or people

have modified each others qualities

somewhat:

we almost forget the oddity

of that.