PREDICTION
By Cary B. Ziter
Everyone who knew us predicted we’d end
up together – though we had to overcome grubby
early morning arguments, the threat of debt
crawling over the horizon, birds born without
wings invading tin dreams, clay on the potter’s
wheel that could only be shaped like devil horns.
About halfway through the grind, we both realized
how sad it is to watch the roses die. Wisdom,
on its own accord, reached new heights; it seemed
to rise from the mildew, a homegrown mist.
We shared knowledge, we tossed brittle bone, we
ignored the cascade of injuries. Simple conversation
shook the foundation of foolishness; pleasure finally
ranked higher in volume and heat than weeping.
Lordy, remember: we were so very tired of the badly
shaken nights, enough so to beat down the septic
storms, to diverge sharply from decline. Yonder,
then, came the soft-shelled crickets singing high
of our hard-won handiwork, a cleaning effort
that spoke of sustained love. We won’t be selling
Bibles on the corner, but we agree: there is
something holy in the success of our struggle.
CARY B. ZITER is the author of several published books for young readers. Prior to his retirement he worked for the New York State Tax Department, Exxon and IBM, including long-term assignments in Paris and Hong Kong. He earned a degree in journalism from Morrisville Agricultural and Technical College and his master’s in literature from Bennington College. His poetry has appeared in The Pointed Circle, Blueline, the Front Range Review, California Quarterly, The New Croton Review and other literary journals. He and his wife, Jozi, live in New York’s Hudson Valley region.
