me and all my wants, you and your wants, we sit
on the same side of the same table.
me and my wants, many of which are unreasonable,
some of which are mutually exclusive;
you and your wants … say what you will
about them, as I only know what you tell me
though I hear enough to believe you just
want whatever you want, regardless.
elsewhere on the globe, other yous, their
wants also strident, distinct from ours.
we and all our wants, side by side, our elbows
on the table, a table now massively extended
to accommodate so many wants, the table called
upon to accommodate more more more—
one table, thrown forth by the planet’s
last, lovely, irreplaceable heartwood
and the table would have plenty to say
but it is mute, even as it trembles.
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Annie Stenzel‘s poems appear in U.S. or UK journals including Ambit, Gargoyle, Kestrel, The Lake, and Willawaw Journal, among many others. Her full-length collection is The First Home Air After Absence (Big Table). She lives within sight of the San Francisco Bay.
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