Few Good Things by Thomas Zimmerman

Like tiny lights by Jolene Knapp from Flickr

A sluggish walk in dewy woods with Ann

and Trey, who nearly snagged a fresh-dead bird.

The sun burned off some brain fog, thoughts began

to breach, and then submerged without a word.

Unshowered, stubble-chinned, I had a bad

night’s sleep: Trey licking, barking in his dreams.

Or maybe it was me, poor poet sad

enough to nurse his ironies and memes.

And now black coffee’s coursing through my wan

and tepid blood, spring-gleam in glacial shade.

Yet ennui clings like moss, chill hanging on.

Not hard to see how few good things get made.

How long this search for beauty, truth, gods’ signs?

Ad infinitum? No, just fourteen lines.

***

Thomas Zimmerman teaches English and directs the Writing Center at Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. His latest book is Dead Man's Quintet (Cyberwit, 2023).  https://thomaszimmerman.wordpress.com/