Wednesday, February 23, 2022

THE GOAL

To the centipede 
crawling along 
on my ceiling 

who just startled 
me out of my 
impotent brooding:

I've decided 
(for the moment) 

to permit you 
to live—

but only for as long 
as you continue 
to remind me 

that I too,
in the past, have 
maintained the ability 

to remain calm 
and silent 

while I'm
inching toward the goal

in an upside-down world 
which is loathe 
to acknowledge 

that in order 
to change 
their circumstance, 

some would 
risk it all.