Back to Nature, by JAMES TATE
You should drive a big red convertible
as fast as you can
into the heart of the forest, drink
champagne, and say
witty things to all the creatures you
meet.
Walk around kicking your tires, and if
you meet any
of those endangered Camp Fire Girls, say
Wohelo!
Don’t you wish you had remembered to
pack the pemmican!
If you pull out a white handkerchief you
will almost certainly
be mistaken for a deer and shot.
Don’t forget to put the top up if it rains.
When you are lost stay where you are.
Sleep is an excellent method for tracking
down jewel thieves.
When you roll over never let your body
touch the ground.
From “Worshipful Company of Fletchers” by James Tate. (The Ecco Press: $20; 80 pp.) 1994 Reprinted by permission.
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