Friday, April 26, 2024

My Wife Wakes Me at 3:00 a.m. to Tell Me She Is Overwhelmed by Kim Stafford

 

Not for joy did we marry, but for this,
to hammer through the to-do list
in the dark, despair shared, one
to lament and one to listen, knowing
nothing can be done before dawn,
but still the quiet area, fierce
prosecution of the self, as I say
what can be done will be done
in time, and soon the tide will turn,
days will bloom and fade, impossible
imperatives will shrink to their true size
for her, but rise as a tidal wave for me,
and in the night, cast down, I will be
the one lamenting to my bride
at the dark heart of my defeat
and she will tell me all is well
in this dance we do
for one another.

Kim Stafford




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