For instance, fiddlehead
fern seems identical to nail;
and the word for coconut resembles
the word for being discovered,
exposed— it all depends on
the accent mark—whether
it is acute, or grave, or circumflex.
The cow in the field perhaps
thinks it grazes on the breast
of the earth while underfoot,
a snail undertakes its epic journey.
Two eyelash marks can help
tell apart lover from friend.



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