I never thought
I’d bury my braid
in the garden.
I never guessed
I’d pin a false queue
to my hair.

I must not keep
the lime too sour to eat,
the grapefruit with pith so thick
my tongue can’t find the flesh.

II. Mule, n. An animal or plant of a mongrel kind; esp. the offspring of an ass and a mare.

The mule pulls loads of fruit,
his thick head bent
toward soft sand.
I drive the mule all day
and he does not whinny
or bray. He knows
when to stop.