A Year of Seeing: December 31: “A Bad Poem”

A Bad Poem

Is it not worth it to reach
out with your shaking hand–

even with the other one
pressed across your eyes–

and take your pencil and
make the first hesitating

mark on the paper
so that the questions you have

long held like a frightened bird
whipped in the wind

can take flight and lure your eyes
up and open more to see the horizon?

Even a bad poem
takes an admirable chance.

SH 12/31/2019