Circular Entry

Something about the wound, clearly
Was playing a role, promoting

The tumor to grow and evade
Being destroyed by the patrols.

Can we pause to think about this?
We use metaphors of people

Playing roles in societies,
Interacting with each other,

To explain our understanding
Of how our bodies live and die,

And use metaphors of disease
And recovery in the flesh

To explain our understanding
Of how societies collapse.

We’ve been doing so centuries
And centuries—so which is it?

Which is source and which is target?
Does either explain the other?

Rogue cells, cancers, secret police—
Something about our wounds, clearly.