only a few people
really try to understand
relativity like my father
who for decades kept
the same gray book
next to his bed
with diagrams
of arrows connecting
clocks and towers
in the morning
he’d cook eggs
and holding
a small red saucepan
tell us his tired children
a radio on a train
passing at light speed
could theoretically
play tomorrow’s songs
now he is gone
yes it’s confusing
I have placed
my plastic plant
in front of the window
its eternal leaves
sip false peace
my worldly nature
comforts me
I wish we had
a radio sunlight
powers so without
wasting precious
electrons we could listen
to news concerning
Africa’s southern coast
where people with giant
colored sails
are trying to harness
the cool summer wind
with its special name
I always forget
last night I read a book
which said he was born
an old determinist
and clearly it was all
beautiful guesses
and I watched you knowing
where you travel
when you sleep
I will never know
from Sun BearFind it in the library
Copyright © 2014 Matthew Zapruder
Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc.
on behalf of Copper Canyon Press.