9.4

birch bark was the writing paper,

wallpaper, canoe paper, money

paper. we forgot about it as we

rushed forward into antiquity.

people lived on lands they saw as

God’s, Kitchimanadoo’s, everyone’s.

what a surprise when we came with

territorial imperative.

casinos now dot that land, red mans’

revenge, payback, payforward for

grannies with cigarettes dangling

from their lips at the machines

that spit out funny paper, money

paper, nothing paper, until birch

bark looks good again

as something of substance.

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