THE MUSE
You owe me. Pay up. According to my accounts, you have...

CASUAL FRIEND
Send lies to the people listed below....

THE AWARDS COMMITTEE
This is to notify you that--but what's the use?...

THE WISE
The world could fall to pieces with no notice....

UNCLE AL
A chicken is a touchy creature....

THE OTHERS
Here where we live the lines are down and the surprises build into snowbanks...

DANNY
Dusty Clinton Township kids making paper roosters and snowball...

SAMUEL RENSBERGER
I am your grandfather's grandfather and through my wakeless sleep I dream...

OLD NEIGHBOR
East across low muddy fields and behind the screening trees you can see...

THE WORM COUNCIL
We call your attention to worms. Though sweeping ice age disaster...

THE HERON
I flew in down by the round deep pond behind your house...

WITNESS
I saw the largest moon ever rise huge bright yellow, sailing where it cared to...

Dear Eric,

This is to notify you that--but what's the use? You with your sloppy 
ways have already tossed this where you think it belongs, in the garbage 
with the tuna can torn open in a state of hunger. And down there, in the 
trashbag, underneath the coffee grounds and next to that despised bill, 
ignored like the used Kleenex or the junk mail, this letter will sit 
till doomsday or the trash goes out.

Open me. Rip my pasted lip wide. Think twice about dumping every piece of 
mail today with the eggshells, the used-up wine bottles, the spoiled meat 
and the bones.

This is to notify you that another chance is gone. What you would have 
gotten you'll never know.

The Awards Committee


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