Rainy Thursday eve: recycling bins on the curb; not a sparkler in sight. * The Ox would've been first, arriving at the gathering. The rat jumped a ride. * You miss the dark hours before morning, adorned in tinfoil, rooster crow. * Round things hold their own. Measured out in soft noodles, how long is a life? * Drinking together, remember to stop short of the bitter dregs. * Much later in life, you understand: the moon yields without giving up.