10 hours ago
Die-Cut
Life is made of puzzle pieces–
some events, new thoughts about them,
memories of things that happened,
schemes and dreams that never did.
As each die-cut shape flips over,
future gray to brilliant present,
there’s a moment to consider
where to place it in the past.
Sometimes it’s a straight-edged border
or a corner setting limits;
mostly it will join a pile, once
judged by color, image, kind.
Then, with many upward-facing,
understanding, meaning, slowly
forms but gaps remain, demanding
search among bits pushed aside.
Often missing pieces turn out
to be, not still face-down, waiting,
but a person met, discarded,
for her color or his shape.
In the end, some puzzle-solvers
know beforehand what their final
panorama will portray: they
saw the box-top, read the Book.
Others will delay that closing
recognition of the picture
they’ve assembled, but it finds them
for no life ends incomplete.
Life is made of puzzle pieces–
some events, new thoughts about them,
memories of things that happened,
schemes and dreams that never did.
As each die-cut shape flips over,
future gray to brilliant present,
there’s a moment to consider
where to place it in the past.
Sometimes it’s a straight-edged border
or a corner setting limits;
mostly it will join a pile, once
judged by color, image, kind.
Then, with many upward-facing,
understanding, meaning, slowly
forms but gaps remain, demanding
search among bits pushed aside.
Often missing pieces turn out
to be, not still face-down, waiting,
but a person met, discarded,
for her color or his shape.
In the end, some puzzle-solvers
know beforehand what their final
panorama will portray: they
saw the box-top, read the Book.
Others will delay that closing
recognition of the picture
they’ve assembled, but it finds them
for no life ends incomplete.
Non-practicing atheist