Musings

Springtime Fantasies

Jay Voss
May 7, 2014

It is not so easy 
To fantasize at 71,
But that should not 
Stop me from trying.
Another way to look 
At this later act in ones life 
Is to “play it as it lays,”
Or “live for the moment” in 
Some existential late life
Search for meaning
And purpose.

Yet, I look to the future
With a trip to Ireland and Scotland
In July and another return 
Visit to Madison in the fall.
In younger years, I would 
Rarely think about what
Can get in the way of the future.
But not now. Two months ahead
May bring those challenges 
That disturb the “best laid plans.”

So here I am in the present
Sitting at a picnic table 
On quiet Squantz Pond 
In the middle of the week
Musing about how to get
Through the rest of this day
With a sense of making a difference.
(Is that even necessary?)

What do I feel?
The gentle cool breeze on an early
May afternoon with an overcast light
That keeps me 
From working with my photos,
But not from rambling on in
This moment to moment reverie.

Have you read the poems of Billy Collins?
He often writes in the “here and now,” 
With clarity and descriptive excellence.
I suppose this little effort is an attempt
To adopt his approach 
To record a few moments 
As they actually happen
Sitting on this bench looking at the 
Moving waters, hearing the birds 
In the background, but also 
The common manufactured noises 
Of our daily travels to and fro.
There are even voices 
Of real people walking behind me 
Or preparing a motorized boat 
For fishing on the pond.
In front of me, two fishermen
Row a small boat to 
That perfect spot, if indeed
It can be found.

So what have I accomplished 
In this brief mid afternoon respite?
Well, there are words placed 
Together in patterns that are new.
The thoughts may be old, refined
Or even original because of describing 
An old scene in a new setting.
Who is to tell?  The fact is
I have written about it
And that should be good enough.

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