Chinese Windshield-Wiper, poem by Brandon Whitehead

      Pausing to reflect
      on the boundless wisdom
      of Einstien, Gallileo
      and Archimedes,
      I decide
      to hit it
      with something,
      not thinking
      of the shopping moms
      who are slowly pausing
      in their efforts
      to get their children off the ceiling
      and such,
      to marvel
      at a soaked man,
      beating on a car hood
      with his left boot
      yelling "Click-- CLICK!"

      The paking lot policeman,
      who is also pausing
      in his cruser and rolling
      down the window to observe
      seems to gleen the situation
      with all the cunning and guile
      of dried dog poop.

      "What's going on?"
      he asks--

      "What's going on?"
      I think--
      Why, who am I to question
      the intricate clock-work perfection
      of the infinite universe,
      that the great creator,
      the All-father, All-mother
      of existance
      has apparently
      accidentally
      put a few too many times
      through the wash
      and then lost under their sofa,
      no doubt right next
      to a favorite pen?

      So, gripping the replacement high,
      I reply "My windshield-wiper is Chinese."

      Mr.Cop stares from behind
      his irridescent "Term-i-nat-or" shades,
      which in a thunderbolt of wisdom
      I suddenly point at
      and add
      "Your sunglasses are probably Chinese, too!"

      Refusing to deny or confirm,
      He rolls up the window and drives off,
      realizing it is never a good idea
      to metaphorically stick your hand
      into a cage
      labeled "Crazy Monkey",
      no matter who you are...

      Defeat can be fun to grasp sometimes,
      and with the thought
      the blade suddenly clicks,
      nice and neat,
      and I drive away,
      for rain is the same
      from here to Nanking,
      and the view is cleared--
      until halfway home
      I almost smile
      watching my new Chinese wiper
      again fly off
      into freedom...

      or something almost like it.



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