Somewhere in the World

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by Linda Pastan


Somewhere in the world
something is happening
which will make its slow way here.

A cold front will come to destroy
the camellias, or perhaps it will be
a heat wave to scorch them.





A virus will move without passport
or papers to find me as I shake
a hand or kiss a cheek.

Somewhere a small quarrel
has begun, a few overheated words
ignite a conflagration,

and the smell of smoke
is on its way;
the smell of war.

Wherever I go I knock on wood—
on tabletops or tree trunks.
I rinse my hands over and over again;

I scan the newspapers
and invent alarm codes which are not
my husband's birthdate or my own.

But somewhere something is happening
against which there is no planning, only
those two aging conspirators, Hope and Luck.

Comments

  1. The PliersJanuary 25, 2011 at 4:00 AM

    Good morning over there.

    This is a lovely poem with two of my favorite stars, Hope and Luck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. dsJanuary 25, 2011 at 7:04 AM

    Ms. Pastan, once again! Just keep it coming...
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PepeBJanuary 25, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    Hope and luck: I hope we are lucky with these two!

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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