Turning Forty
At times it's like there is a small planet
inside me. And on this planet,
there are many small wars, yet none
big enough to make a real difference.
The major countries—mind and heart—have
called a truce for now. If this planet had a ruler,
no one remembers him well. All
decisions are made by committee.
Yet there are a few pictures of the old dictator—
how youthful he looked on his big horse,
how bright his eyes.
He was ready to conquer the world.
Copyright Credit: Reprinted from Cooweescoowee by permission of the author, whose most recent book is Paradise Refunded (Backwaters Press, 1998). Poem copyright © 2004 by Kevin Griffith.
Source: Cooweescoowee (2004)