There’s a fable – a man chased by a monster
jumps into a well and as he falls sees a dragon below
Grabs at a branch and while he holds
Notices drops of honey that fall near his mouth
Catches a few drops
as his grip weakens
How I prided myself on my discipline
Missed one day teaching
out of 37 years
Was it all just a tightening
of my grip for those years
to make a case for a bit more of honey
My therapist asks
What happened to your job?
Never missed a day
Retired I turn to writing and discover
I can get work published
Simply keep at it
Discipline redirected
I catch the honey – the drop
between the drops
Wait for my arm to tire
Every once in a while
stare down at the dragon
Greg Moglia’s poems have been published in over 380 journals in 10 countries He is a ten-time winner of an Allan Ginsberg Poetry Award He is now a full- time poet writing about the foibles of mid-life dating, the challenge of aging parents, the sweetness of lovers both old and new.
