Choices

Rustle

Of a Feather

Pillow Against My

Head and my Eyes

Open slowly, seeing

Graceful images recess

Into my dreams, waiting

Another night to come out

And play with my thoughts

Intermingled consciousness

Hot water, soapy, cleanses the

Webs and tangles of yesterday's

Work, jasmine, lavender, a hint of

Cinnamon and a fresh slate for the

Day is before me. The driveway says

Hello as I quietly leave my solitude and

Slowly ramp up to speed for the increasing

Pace of life, merging onto the highway, roaring

Transmission as I go from zero to something too

Quickly for my own taste. Stoplights, Go Lights, horns

Blaring like the trumpets of a great Emperor arriving on

His chariot, commanding all to work for the benefit of the

Country. The cars, the trucks, the screech of tires trying to

Go too quickly or stop too quickly, jack-hammers pound and

Sirens scream and cars fly by a zillion miles per hour as their

Pilots discuss today's mergers and tomorrow's stock prices and

Who wore what at the awards ceremonies, and the team that lost

Yesterday is forgotten in the garbage. Warning lights and clogged

Traffic and accidents and ambulances and more people on cell phones

Talking to colleagues and bosses and lovers and the intense spiral whirring

And blurring and swirling and we go faster and faster around and around and

WHAM!

You forgot to kiss your children good-bye this morning, you forgot to tell your

Spouse to have a good day, you forgot to pick up your clothes that you

Left by the side of the bed, you forgot to clean out the toothpaste in

Your sink. You didn't walk the dog or feed the chickens or put the

Frozen meat on the counter to thaw. You didn't pay the bills you

Said you would. You didn't proof-read your daughter's paper,

You didn't listen to your son's clarinet solo even though he

Asked for your feedback, And even though you said just

A minute when your youngest asked if you could go

Out and shoot baskets, you forgot and turned on

The game instead. You were playing a game on

The internet last night when your kids went to

Sleep ... they said their prayers without you.

You're living in two worlds, and though

Both are necessary, one is real and

One is not. You get to decide

Which is which. There's only

One right choice, really.

So which is it?

In life's long

Run, what

Choices

do you

make?