The dreamy straggler
Sleep, medicines, roving thoughts,
Fits of bile, and the sudden smile
For or from one or two or three,
Or Life in general, it's not so bad!
But soon to subside to the ordinary
Course and curses of straggling,
And jobs to be done: have-tos
Like pending tax returns, or the last
Reminder of a bill long unpaid.
Some don't-have-tos but always
More beautiful, a walk on a cool
Breezy day beside a lake, reading
A message of appreciation when
Least expected, or a newsy letter.
A dinner of splendid dishes never
Tasted before, memories forgot
But laid-out sudden, and fresh with
Dewy tears. A poem that glitters
In poise, ease of thought, image,
Or, better yet, writing one oneself,
Nice words to be feted, quoted,
Carved in stone, or paper, or bytes,
If anyone so chooses to one day.
Sanjib Basu 