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"Arboretum."

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"We had the problem of age, the
problem of wishing to linger.

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Not needing, anymore, even
to make a contribution.

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Merely wishing to
linger: to be here.

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And to stare at things,
but with no real avidity.

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To browse, to purchase nothing.

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But there were many of
us; we took up time.

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We crowded out our own children,
and the children of friends.

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We did great damage,
meaning no harm.

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We continued to plan, to
fix things as they broke.

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To repair, to improve.

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We traveled, we put in gardens.

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And we continued brazenly to
plant trees and perennials.

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We asked so little of the world.

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We understood the offense
of advice, of holding forth.

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We checked ourselves: we
were correct, we were silent.

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But we could not cure ourselves
of desire, not completely.

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Our hands, folded, reeked of it.

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How did we do so much damage,
merely sitting and watching,

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strolling on fine
days, the grounds

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of the park, the
arboretum, or sitting

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on benches in front
of the public library,

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feeding pigeons
out of a paper bag.

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We were correct, and
yet desire pursued us."

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