Animals and Beggars

Prefer the passive virtues
Of withdrawal, contentment,
And serenity—of full

Stomachs, good weather, and safe,
Sheltered spots to hibernate.
That’s why ruins suit them well,

Even the ruins of maps.
The absence of harassment
In uninhabited lands,

Abandoned construction sites,
Overgrown overpasses,
And decaying museums

Suit the foxes perfectly,
Although the beggars remain
Torn between peace and quiet

On the edge of starvation
And the risk of traveling
Back from the last scraps of map

To more crowded villages
Where handouts come with contempt
But surpluses still persist.