Poet Always, Poet Forever

 I stacked my books 

Of algebra and biology

For the last time

Not continuing on, as the others 

Come look, they all urged me

You must make plans 

But there was sunshine and warm sand, so I shrugged 

It was a perfect beach day 

A few years later

Walking the long hallways

High heels making that satisfying 

Clickity clack

Faster, they said

I stared at them, puzzled 

The way the cat does when he can't understand what I'm doing  

I went to the cafeteria and created a mocha coffee 

Being rather pleased with myself I must say  

Sitting on the floor, playing with my sons

Asking their opinions

You're doing it wrong, I kept hearing 

Everyone had thoughts on how it was to be done 

I broke eye contact with them and returned to our game 

Often, I searched

Who would have tea, and discuss books 

And the call of the Red Winged Blackbird 

Sometimes, they would stop for a little while 

And it was good 

Soon, they would have to go

And I would make more tea 

Sitting out front with my roses

Listening to the Robins and Sparrows

I arranged my memere's glassware 

Just so

And dusted my mother-in-law's pretty bowl 

I thought of them

Their stories alive in me as I worked 

Why does she do that

Their eyes would say 

She'd have more space

If these old things were gone 

I just smiled 

And kept dusting the treasures

Always and forever

The poet knows

Just who and what they are 

To an extent

We are other

We watch

We immerse ourselves

Finding the keys to the Universe

In the tiny design on an old teacup

Or in the ladybug

Landing on our hand

We dip our toes into your world

That values productivity above all else 

Because shelter, food, and health care 

It drains us 

So we come back to the poems

To our notebooks and cups of hot tea 

And the pretty chimes mom gave us 

Swaying in the spring breeze 

A poet is always a poet 

Thank all that is good in creation for that