I’d like to drink
up the Universe
from a can
of Diet Coke,

bought from
my ancestors’
most virtuous
moments.

With no deposit
required--can’t be
returned without
your consent,

a secret label on
the side that reads:
“only the purest,
natural ingredients.”

Has a pull tab that
opens like a forever
Christmas morning

or your lover’s
warm embrace,

with overflowing
rivers of wine that

never run dry or
leave you wanting.

The aluminum reflects
images of man’s
greatest achievements         
for study,

that hold you spellbound  
suchlike an enchanted storyteller.

Just a man and his can:

with whole chunks
of Emily Dickinson

on the bottom and

bubbles of beauty,
truth and time that
won’t dissolve---

like a Keatsean urn.

-- Gil Hoy