Arno Bohlmeijer
Moving On

I won’t be moody,
this can’t be helped,
two mice found dead
in the rainwater of a tall,
empty, smooth flowerpot.
You could say: these mice
won’t be stealing food inside.

But for years I’ll be wondering:
how long was their fear and fight?
Was it a comfort being together?
Please, let life be less tough.
Shall I get rid of the pot?
No, it will be full of flowers in delicate yellows.

Filmic

I won’t be moody,
this can’t be helpe

We did see this:
a cow up to her mouth
in a side stream of the river.

We ran and panted,
no phone, can’t call nine-one-one,
should we go into the water?

We would get hypothermic,
and how to handle the colossus?
We could go and find help, but where?

Careful, we move closer
and see that the cow is blissful:
eating the leaves floating there deliciously.

She seems to be certain:
I’m not stuck in the sucking bottom,
and she will reach the tall bank again, definitely?

Walking on, we look back forever.
There may be a safe end to empathy.

<< return to the Table of Contents for New Series #8: Winter 2019, Volume 4 Number 2