Poetry

Before

Before I turned the TV on
Michelle had come
To clean
And I was at my computer, finishing my prayers, typing in my journal.

Sunlight swarmed,
Turned golden by the drapes.
Or was it the sun
That turned the drapes to gold?

And I had written silly thoughts
Asking God to forgive me
For being weak,
Feeling like a wimp for calling in sick the day before,
Begging for strength to get to my physical therapy appointment that afternoon
And for endurance
To keep my job.

And all the while
September sated the room
Drew my eyes outside to green and crystal blue
(Only the air was gold–
No hint yet
Of fiery autumn.)

I started to do the crossword
While talking to Michelle about her kids
and their school and did she need me
to move out of her way.

And a Carolina wren sang “Germany, Germany, Germany, Germany”
As clear and sweet and bright as the day
And that’s just how my world was before

I turned on the TV
At nine o’clock
On Tuesday
September
Eleventh
Two thousand and one.

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