the thing in itself—
without smell, taste, or color
may be genuine,
but it
just seems improper.
It's like reality
is that despicable defendant
who says, maybe
our particles
were asking for it:
the way they gave up
their positions
and velocities
so easily!
*
We can't go on like this,
seeking clues to the case
on brand-name tags,
reading metaphors
like fact-checked newspapers,
with our collective sense
of wonder so
plainly exhausted.
We give up!
Dear doctor, dear expert,
just tell us, already—
what is the spin
of the electron
responsible for this tantrum?
Who's odorless, tasteless, colorless physics
are at the center
of this intractable catastrophe?