Writing a poem, I get into a trance of meaning. This phrase sounds like a ‘Yes’ lyric. But Czeslaw Milosz produces an even trippier quote: poetry is “the passionate pursuit of the real.” And Brodsky is hot on his heels: “Lyricism is the ethics of language.”

On ‘Four Corners,’ I heard some quotes and vox-pops from post-Saddam Iraqis, and turned them into a haiku:

“He’s gone. Iraq’s free.
Now it’s not safe to go out.
No lights, no water.”

Another from a Japanese hostage:

“They say pull out troops.
English must get out Iraq
or they… cut my head.”

And a couple from Bush:

“We’re gonna kick ass.
Find out if Saddam did this.
See if he’s linked.”

“Strike terror abroad.
Advance Middle East freedom.
And we will prevail.”

Fallujah

FALLUJAH

I fire a bullet
at my horse's head, because
a fly lands on it.

My horse drops dead and the fly
buzzes off to the next horse.