a minute is a chart

mapping destinations

plotting routes and revealing

reported reefs and shoals

yet missing hidden hazards

the projection more distorted

the farther the journey goes

a minute is an arid plain

stripped of all adornment

the adjectives evicted

flat and lifeless as a desert

a reasoning cold, pitiless, hard

that stands in the harshest light

a toughened cast-iron implement

a minute is a tapestry

that draws together many threads

to create a detailed picture

the dangers found on different paths

the matters for decision

the judgement calls that must be made

on underlying issues

a minute is a perfect flower

structured to produce

each argument a petal

though successively discarded

(the Minister loves me not)

retains a stem strong enough

to support propagation