in the forest,
does writing exist?
If a sentence is written
but not in my language, does it
exist? Do I exist if the tree
peels back strip after strip
to translate a story
different from mine?
If a child washes up
on a beach, does mercy
exist or does it require
his water-logged sweater
to be any color
other than red,
does it require
the shoe missing
from his foot
to first be found?