Parables in War and Subtraction

          Two brothers had armies. They faced their army against the other brother across the river.
         One brother commanded his soldiers to fire. One ordered his soldiers to wade across and slit his brother’s throat.
         After the battle no one remained standing; they all laid down at the edge of the river, which turned red that year and killed the crops downriver.

We Could Not Steal Another Horse

Again we rode upon a horse
along the turbid river course.
Below the willows green and fair
we stopped awhile and loosed the mare.

She blinked at us as if to say: