Field Experiments

They started in a clearing.
They carved a trench together,
And they brought the sacred books

From competing traditions,
And they set them in the trench
With no special privilege

For one over another.
Then, they climbed out of the trench
And took a composed picture.

From the canopy’s height,
They took another picture.
Then from a helicopter,

Then from a passenger jet.
After that, stock photos served
From overhead satellites.

Meanwhile, digging underground,
Deeper pictures, looking up,
Until there was no lower

And no higher to attain,
And any further shifting
Of perspective on the texts

Had to be speculative.
The truth of the universe
Patiently stayed in the trench.