Take an iguana and toss it at a tree
to see if it sticks.
If it manages to dig in its claws
and clamber up to the canopy,
much fortune will come to us in the future.
If it digs in its claws
and holds that position,
we will need to further ponder our next move.
If it misses the trunk with its claws
and sustains an injury, we then know
that our future will be full of failure
from which we must recover
before we lose our confidence.
If it misses the tree altogether
and lands on the shadowy ground,
that is the surest sign of them all;
we must make our decisions for ourselves
and forget the superstition
that made us throw the poor iguana
in the first place.
WHARVED 