Hi, John. I keep wondering what the animal is and what the central point of the poem is. Is it about the arbitrariness of nature and life and death? If so, then I could see the validity of paring this down to Ss 1, 4, and 5. But it seems that you also want to do more—to make this also an atmospheric narrative. If so, might this be an unnecessarily broad agenda that dilutes the core power of the poem somewhat?
Why does the n not know why he was digging?
and nothing will make it mean more
than two packages of meat and bone,
This really got me with its bald matter-of-factness. I have really known this feeling from time to time, and wondered about it, feeling that there must be more although all the evidence seems to point in the other direction.
I don’t know how two breaths make a clock.
Other than all this, I’d echo Tony’s observations.
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